TCOT Timid Butler
by razraz
Summary: P and D work routine of dealing with extortion and blackmail gets interrupted with ... well with more extortion and blackmail. Epilogue added.
1. Chapter 1

Obviously not my characters just borrowing them.

Chapter 1

There were people everywhere, some two hundred and fifty odd people, milling about, the clink of glasses, drifts of smoke, the buzz of aimless chatter rang through the grand ballroom. Men looking suave in dinner suits, ladies in evening wear, dazzling and smiling. The doorway was open and couples were still drifting into the room down the stairs. Then swallowed up into the larger crowd. A smaller group were dancing to the fifteen piece band that was playing light jazz and swing. Two people stood on the edge of the crowd next to one of the magnificent pillars that headed up to the ornate ceiling. While they both looked relaxed they were observing the activities of the rest of the crowd rather than actively participating. Content to be in their own company.

"Is it just my imagination or is there a definite buzz with the crowd tonight?" he asked, eyes scanning the crowd before giving her a sidelong look. She held her champagne glass with both hands her fingers entwined around the stem, seemingly engrossed in the bubbling fizz, very aware of the direction of his gaze. Unwilling to meet his eye perhaps, or hiding the mirth that lurked there,

"Oh...Aston Gabriel is here tonight, cutting a swathe through the crowd," she told him, "I imagine that is the source of the excitement," she continued for his benefit, "He is a movie star."

"Mostly through the ladies then?" he remarked.

"He is extremely attractive, " she defended the swooning ladies, glancing at him, he was still watching her not the crowd, she gave a slight roll of her head and he turned following the direction of her subtle nod. A tight knit group of people moving almost like a swarm, people on the periphery seemed to get sucked in and spat out as it moved around the room in a what was almost a mimicry of a bee stealing pollen from flower to flower.

"Are his movies any good though?" he asked seriously, his eyes on the moving huddle.

"Oh Perry nobody cares about that," she told him with a cheeky chuckle.

"Eye candy only then."

"Most definitely" she agreed wholeheartedly, a bit too whole heartedly he thought.

"Have you got a crush on a movie star?" he asked her. She turned her eyes to him looking at him directly, she was fighting a grin, her left eyebrow raised.

"Most definitely," she repeated with a more sultry emphasize.

"Do I have to worry that you are going to throw yourself after him?"

"Goodness Perry you should know I don't throw my self at just anyone," she touched the lapel of his jacket for just a moment, "He is rich though," she added to annoy him.

"And probably doesn't spend his evenings reading torts,"he observed.

"No," she said wistfully, momentarily closing her eyes, "I don't imagine he spends his evenings reading the crusty old writings of dusty old men."

"Are you sure you got that in the right order?" he teased her, she grinned at him, swirling the liquid in her glass, in a way he found completely engrossing.

"So you don't think he reads Shakespeare?" he continued.

She shook her head,

"Uhuhh, all though he might need someone to read lines with him." She gave the matter her serious consideration, then squeezed his arm with another fond chuckle, "I think I should go and powder my nose, do you mind?"

"I will manage?" he assured her.

* * *

He watched her walk away, his eyes ran down her entire body and he grinned in appreciation. Her dress was a black satin halter neck, full skirt, tight bodice, her back and shoulders would be bare, but for the black chiffon wrap she wore, his eyes drifted below her hemline, those legs were dynamite, he sipped his drink. When she was out of sight his eyes turned back to the central swarm and he watched with amusement as it continued its path through the crowd. Without Della to distract him, he wondered where Paul was, not that it was unusual for him to miss out on a social occasion, Paul liked to keep as close an eye on his operatives as he expected they did on their targets. He checked out the direction Della had gone but seeing no sign had returned his eyes to the crowd, contented to wait.

* * *

Della left the bathroom and headed out for a breath of fresh air. She should have fetched Perry but she just needed a moment to herself. She went down a passage to a more private balcony. The smell of the city , the lights, the muted noises of the traffic way down on the street, was it possible to love a city this much. She wondered if a certain dark, brooding, handsome lawyer didn't reside in this city how much would she still love it. A sigh escaped her lips, it was much better when they were on a case, they didn't have time to ponder, or flirt and certainly not time to stare hungrily at each other.

Her attention was drawn away from the beautiful vista by murmuring tones. They must have been on the same balcony but around the corner out of sight from her. The voices got louder, the arguing caught her attention and she couldn't help but listen in.

"I am telling you he does not want do do another fluffy romantic drama, give him something worth getting his teeth into. He is a great actor. You know this, he is not afraid to put his own money into it. You are standing in his way with your restrictive contract." A rather blunt voiced man was saying.

"The contract suited him when he was a young handsome actor going nowhere,"a mellow voice replied.

"Yes but he has proven himself, proven his loyalty, increased your wealth a hundred fold, its time to renegotiate."

"I will renegotiate in four years as per the contract. I think you forget what a risk I took, he was happy to sign up to that. He would have lived on easy street should every movie have flopped," replied the man with smoother and much more modulated tones.

"You would have been quick enough to cut the contract then."

"Maybe, we will never know."

"You stand in his way and you'll be sorry."

"You think you are the first two bit minder to threaten me," the mellow voice took on a nasty turn, "I don't need some heavy to do my dirty work, you consider that before you threaten me again."

She heard a glass smash on concrete and then the nasty voice laughed,

"That's the best you can do is it?"

"You will be sorry Maynard." threatened the coarser accent.

* * *

Her heart was racing, but she did not dare move, she did not want to be observed having overheard that conversation. She did not know how long she stood there, and flinched at the sound of broken glass crunching underfoot. She gasped and then a big bulky familiar form blocked the light. She relaxed slightly.

"I thought you might have ditched me," he said, then glanced down at the crunching under his foot.

"Yours?" he asked.

She shook her head and murmured "Uuh uh," not quite able to speak.

His amusement faded when he realized how tense she was, he moved to her, his hands going to her shoulders, "Are you hurt?" he demanded harshly.

"No," she said her voice husky.

"What happened?' he asked firmly. She shook her head and he dropped his hands, knowing she just needed a moment.

"I overhead a particularly nasty conversation."

"What .. the highlights" he encouraged her, she glanced at the entrance and then turned to the view, feeling safe now that he was there with her.

"Its probably nothing," she temporized feeling a little bit silly.

"Humour me," he requested, and she made the mistake of looking into his eyes, as if she could ever resist those gorgeous big blue eyes anything.

"Two men were arguing about someone else, about how he was being restricted by the stifling contract. He wanted to change. He wanted to be able to choose roles that were dramatically more credible." she drew in a breath. "The man who was arguing for the release of the restriction of the contract, he threatened him, "You'll be sorry Maynard." then the altercation, "the man he called Maynard responded with a "I don't need a minder to do my dirty work, you consider that before you threaten me."

"Do you know who Maynard is?" he asked her.

"A Jonathan Maynard is a producer and owns Helix Pictures, and owns the contract on Aston Gabriel."

"Do you know who the other man was?"

"It could have been Cohen, Vaughan Cohen, I think. He is Gabriel's business manager. I would recognize his voice if I heard it again."

"Do you think he meant to carry through with his threat?" Perry asked her.

She shrugged, "I don't know, he was angry but it sounded like he was expecting the answers he got." she paused trying to word it properly, "Perry it wasn't, it was the man called Maynard, there was something nasty about him" He paused for a moment his questioning of her knowing that it was starting to sound like an interrogation but decided she knew him well enough that he could continue.

"They didn't know you were here though."

"No."

"Are you sure."

"Yes."

He stepped behind her and put his arms around her and hugged her to him in a way he had not dared to for so long, he leaned over her shoulder and pressed his cheek to hers, letting her know he was there. However after only a few moments, he slipped his arm around her shoulder to a more neutral position. She was looking perfectly edible, and he did not need her knowing exactly what impact she had on him. He drew a breath trying to get control of himself.

"Do you want me to take you home?" he asked her.

Leading question counsellor, was the reply she kept to herself.

"Lets go back in side, I think I have got enough city air now." He took her elbow and lead her back inside, the bright music and the good feeling of the crowd, he handed her a champagne and toasted her, she met his eyes steadily drinking in his smoldering gaze as she sipped her champagne.

* * *

"Having fun?" a familiar voice interrupted them, it was Paul, he gave Della a peck on the cheek, "You look absolutely stunning," he observed, his eyes running up and down the whole length of her with an appreciative grin.

She smiled her teasing smile at him but Perry interrupted any response with a "You're late."

Paul raised his eyes theatrically to the ceiling and said to Della, "And this from a man who has caused me to be a no show for more hot dinners than I have... well than I have had hot dinners," he grizzled.

"Well I hope you've eaten because the finger food has already gone by,"she informed him.

"Just my luck, no I have not eaten, how long are you folks sticking around here?"

"Oh for awhile longer." Perry was fingering his glass, "We haven't danced yet."

"Yes? "Paul said, knowing Perry too well to miss the cues, "You want me to do something?"

"Yes," Perry paused and looked at him, "yes I do, I want you to find a man called Vaughan Cohen, he is ..."

"Gabriel's manager and a regular Mr fix it, what for?"

'I want to speak to him."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight." Perry confirmed, Paul put his glass of champagne down,

"Alright. At least he should be in the building."

"And Paul..."

"Yes Perry?"

"What do you know about Maynard."

"The producer?" Paul asked, Perry nodded.

"I've never met anyone who has crossed him,"

"Clean?"Perry asked.

"More likely ruthless, but there is nothing concrete,"Paul said after a moments thought.

Paul left them and Perry turned his eyes to the crowd, scanning, she touched his forearm, even through his jacket his body reacted to her.

"Perry," her voice so soft and husky that the hairs stood up on the back of his neck, he didn't look at her though.

'Yes?"

"Is it necessary, people make threats all the time in that business," she said reasonably.

'Not ones that put you in danger' he thought but did not voice it.

"Still it won't hurt to check it out," he observed.

He smiled at her, "Now Miss Street, do you think you would be up for a dance?" He held out his hand to her confident of her response, she smiled back at him.

"I would love to," she replied unable to say anything else. Annoyed at him for being over protective but wanting to dance. He lead her by the elbow to the floor where there was a growing number of couples dancing.

* * *

They danced well together, fit together like hand and glove, impossible to tell if it was her anticipation or his leading that made them work so well together. All Della knew is that she loved dancing with him, loved being this close to him feeling his heart racing, hot and physical and in his arms. It was a good substitute, and much much safer than the alternative. She lost count of the number of songs that they danced to but when the beat of the music change, she smiled knowing what his reaction would be and as predicted he swung her to a stop.

"Don't you think you should learn how to salsa Perry, its not that hard," she teased him.

"Perhaps, but I don't think tonight is the night for experimenting."

She glanced up at him as he lead her off, "Chicken..." she murmured with a sulky pout, he chuckled at her leading her towards Paul who waited for them.

* * *

"He'll see you but they have gone upstairs. Apparently Mr Gabriel doesn't like his glow to burn the punters with too much exposure," he told them with a wry smile giving a slight shift of his head. They followed his nod and on balcony several men were looking down on them. Della didn't want to stare but she couldn't help looking directly at the incredibly attractive Mr Gabriel who seemed to be looking straight into her eyes. She knew it was an illusion, at that distance he could have been looking at anyone. The men turned away and disappeared.

"Come with me, "Paul said leading them to the stairs and to a corridor that was roped off, Paul leaned in and said something to the tuxedo dressed doorman guarding a roped of section of the hallway. The doorman looked to a door that was also being monitored, the second doorman gave a nod and they were let through. The room opened up into a private lounge with several men milling around, drinking, smoking and presumably gossiping, Della looked around half expecting to see a couple of starlets lounging on the couches.

Paul approached a heavyset man, "Mr Cohen, this is Mr Mason, the lawyer I told you about."

"Can we have a word in private?" Mason asked him,

"Yes certainly come this way," Cohen said. Mason looked at Della, the nod she gave him would have been imperceptible to anyone else.

* * *

Paul accepted a couple of champagnes for both himself and Della, letting out an inane, "Lovely weather we are having." this caused a couple of entourage to glance at him in amusement, a younger man came over.

"Hi I am Billings, " he greeted them, he was quite handsome in a boyish way, couldn't have been more than twenty five, Della thought, but smiled as Paul introduced them.

"Good Party," Billings said enthusiastically, "You dance superbly Miss Street, we could see you well from up here." He waved at the waiter for their glasses to be filled up.

"And what do you do Mr Billings?" she asked him. He grinned and gave a shy smile,

"Oh I fetch and carry things for Mr Gabriel, and if I'm good Mr Cohen takes me on his business trips."

She smiled, she liked his honesty, and the slightly self mocking way he described his position in the entourage.

"And its Butler, Butler Billings, Oh here's Aston. Aston come and meet Miss Street and Mr Drake, they work for 'the' Mr Perry Mason."

"A Perry Mason fan, I should have known." Paul whispered to Della, as she turned her eyes still twinkling in amusement. Her heart missed a beat as she came close up with to the gorgeous brown eyes of Mr Gabriel who was coming towards them.

"You'll have to forgive Butler, he devours crime thrillers as if they were the only genre to be concerned with," Aston Gabriel apologised. He shook Drake's hand and kissed Della's. "And of course he is an aspiring scriptwriter." he teased the young man who blushed, but seemed to take the teasing in the manner it was intended. "He keeps us all up to date with the activities of your Mr Mason."

"This is my home town." Billings defended himself,"When I'm a writer, I am going to write about one of his cases," Butler declared.

"And I am going to star in the movie version." Aston added, squeezing the young mans shoulder.

"Ahh, probably wrong accent Mr Gabriel." Paul pointed out. Aston looked at him curiously and in an awfully familiar voice that held no trace of the Italian accent.

"Is that the truth Mr Drake?"

Paul and Della looked at each other then at Butler who was staring adoringly at his mentor. They all laughed, "You've convinced me."

"And what about you Miss Street?" Aston continued in an American accent.

"You've got the wrong colour eyes Mr Gabriel."

* * *

"What can I do for you Mason?"

Cohen had lead him out on to the balcony but the sliding door remained open.

"What are your dealings with Jonathan Maynard?"

"Are you his lawyer?"Cohen responded watching Mason cautiously.

"No."

"What's your interest in Maynard?"

"Curiosity mostly, but I wanted to give you some friendly advice."

"Yes?"

"Your friend Maynard, I'd recommend not threatening him," he pulled a card out of his jacket, "For your own benefit," he added. Cohen watched him but said nothing.

"My friends tell me that you have kept on the straight and narrow for fifteen years. If you have a contract dispute, best get a lawyer to sort it out, he will drag you into the gutter and leave you there."

Cohen looked at him curiously, "Why would you care?"

Mason smiled, he liked that Cohen hadn't asked him how he knew about the threat, wasn't worried about who had dobbed. Cohen lit a cigarette and handed Mason one.

"I believe a man can change, its just free advice," Mason said, Cohen laughed.

"In this business there is no such thing, your a murder lawyer aren't you."

"I am a criminal lawyer."

"Well Mr Mason, I don't intend on giving you any business if that is what you mean."

"I'm glad to hear it I am sorry for interrupting your evening."

"Thats alright the boss always likes meeting a new fan." he said his eyes flicking behind Perry. Perry turned around, back inside Mr Gabriel was talking to Della. Paul had a bored expression on his face, Della was smiling, possibly even flirting and Mr Gabriel was leaning way to close for Perry's comfort. He grunted.

* * *

"Come on I'll introduce you to the Boss," Cohen slapped him on the back and taking him back inside.

"Boss this is the famous lawyer Perry Mason, Mr Mason my boss, Mr Aston Gabriel."

They shook hands, "What can we do for you Mr Mason?" Gabriel asked in a thick Italian accent.

"Nothing, nothing, I was over reacting." he said calmly. Maynard gave him a grin and said in his gruff voice.

"He is being modest boss he was offering me some good advice, which I will take and which he is not even going to charge for."

"We have taken up enough of your time I know you must be getting back to your guests,"Perry said with a smile at both Cohen and Gabriel.

"Oh I was enjoying the view in here, but you are probably right." he said, with a wink at Della, Perry took her arm and lead her out as she said her goodbyes.

* * *

"Yikes Della." Paul declared when they were outside, "I thought you were going to melt when he started flirting with you."

'He is even dreamier up close." she sighed.

"Dreamier is that even a word?" Perry said to know one in particular, his tone had a hint of disapproval.

"Well how did you go with Mr Cohen," she asked, once she'd come out of her moment of bliss. Perry glanced at her as if trying to determine whether she could have a sensible conversation.

"He seems like a perfect gentleman." Perry said honestly.

"Told you an absolute reformed character," Paul said lighting a cigarette.


	2. Chapter 2

TCOT Timid Butller

Chapter 2

Della put the mail on his desk, they had a busy schedule lined up so she only put the three letters that had to be addressed that day. Her stomach was tight as she pushed the thoughts of their previous Friday nights conversation away. The conversation after the party.

That done she headed into the kitchenette to put the coffee on. There was no shortage in activities with their current case load, including the pending court dates and ongoing investigations. She hesitated, wanting to find an errand so as not to be here when he arrived, but steeled herself and returned to her desk to finish off the most urgent of the briefs. She was not going to become a timid mouse at this stage of her career. He walked in and looked up, oh he was as cool as ever, a smile, "Good morning Miss Street."

"Good morning Mr Mason," she responded equally formerly. His manner immediately put her at ease and the hint of a smile teased the corner of her lips.

"Anything interesting going on that I should know about?"

"The morning paper is on your desk, no job prospects jumping out. Your schedule for this week is already full," she reminded him pointedly, "Coffee?"

"Yes thank you."

She rose to go and fetch it. Breathing a sigh of relief that their professional relationship meant everything to him. When she placed his coffee on his desk, he smiled his thanks but was already skimming the paper, only reading the articles that she had already marked. He'd pushed the schedule told her he had already reviewed it.

"If you get that draft revised I can get that out in the morning post."

"Hmmm" he ignored her, or more accurately her direction for him to revise the draft. Knowing if he responded it would be followed by a direction to attend to the mail. It was a regular point of dispute. She could not tolerate having work hang around, as soon as it came in she wanted it sorted out and gone. Well aware that at a moments notice their day could be changed to focus on one case, one crime and all opportunity to do their daily work would go out the window. After the morning they fell back into their normal routine, as if the events of Friday night had not happen.

* * *

The letter was addressed to her, it did not look like a business letter, she slit the top opened and extracted the card. It was an invitation. Her eyes scanned the exquisite print, a smile threatened to spill from her mouth. She re read it, resting her hand on her hip, and considered the contents before pursing her lips. Then putting it away in the second draw of her desk for further deliberation at a later date. Not that there was much to contemplate.

There was only one other man who could make her heart race like that. Further despite a recent lapse he had been, for some months, preoccupied with other matters. A distraction would do her good. She was more determined than ever not to lose her life, her independence her whole self by having an affair with a man who was larger than life. To not be at his side was unthinkable. Too lose him because an affair ended was inconceivable and not a risk she was prepared to take.

It was a week later before she asked the question to which she already knew the answer. She went into his office, Paul was slumped in the leather armchair to the side of his desk in his usual place.

"What are you doing Friday the 18th?" she asked from the doorway.

"I am going to Seattle to see my brother," he responded, his expression curious. Paul butted in with a "I'm free." Perry glanced at him in irritation, and turned back to Della.

"Why?"

"Because I need an escort," she replied.

"Sorry, I have already cancelled on him three times, if I don't make this he might take legal action against me."

"Thats alright," she turned her eyes to Paul and raised her eyebrow in a manner that made both men shift in their seats.

"I would accompany you anywhere." he said truthfully, "Monkey suit required?"

"Mhh mmhm" she said. Paul slapped his hands as if the matter was settled.

"Well I don't know about you folks but I'm hungry and I am guessing its dinner time," Paul said standing out of his chair. Della looked at her watch it had just turned 7.00.

"I've got this deposition to finish up, I'll be another hour at least," she declined closing the door and returning to her office.

"What?" Paul asked when he looked over to see Perry's glare.

"Thanks a lot."

"You should thank me," Paul said heading for the door, "If I wasn't such a good friend, I would be dating her, smitten with you or not, or ...I could have let her take one of those Parkers who are hanging around just waiting for her to weaken." He tapped on the door, "There are quite a few who would even put up with her crazy devotion to you and the crazy hours you make her work. So don't get angry at me buddy I am doing you a favor." Perry didn't lose his scowl, nor did he tell Paul that Della had already made her feelings very clear.

After Paul had left, Perry leaned back in his chair and considered what Paul had said. He was right about one thing if someone other than himself was going to take Della out he would just as soon it be Paul rather than some unknown wolf. He knew how unfair this was on both of them. He sighed, she was right, with what they had discussed the other night, it hadn't worked, he could not pay her the attention she needed. She did not want his attention when it was better directed at getting one of their clients off, nor did she want his attention if his mind was elsewhere. She had told him it was a conundrum that was not resovable. He sighed out loud at the memory, her lips told him a completely different story to her words, but she had shooed him off. He could still feel the jealousy simmering in him heightened by the way that Aston Gabriel had been oogling her. The way she had returned his stare unperturbed had not helped. The thought of her in someone else's arms it drove him nuts.

* * *

The next week was full on, they seemed to be working on the run, eating on the run and barely getting enough sleep. The more that was thrown at them the more that they seemed to be able to take on. He checked his watch, still only early, he would have time to take her out to dinner before he went to the airport. He buzzed for her to come in.

"Yes Mr Mason," her formal tone told him someone else was in the office, he hesitated and then said.

"Miss Street would you please bring me the Seeton File?"

"Of course Mr Mason, there is a Mr Roger Fraser here to see you. He says that you will know what it is about."

"Does he have an appointment?"

"No Mr Mason."

"Ask him to wait, I need that file."

In Della's office she turned to the waiting man, "He will see you shortly Mr Fraser, will you have a seat."

"Its urgent," he repeated for the seventh time.

"Yes and Mr Mason has agreed to squeeze you in before he leaves for the day." she said unwaveringly. "Take a seat Mr Fraser."

He flashed her an angry look but as she stood there waiting for him to sit down, he did as she bid. She could see it rankled him immensely. She fetched the file and went into Perry's office closing the door behind her.

"Chief?" she called him, he looked up at her."That is Phillip Maskies brother in law."

"Oh..." he drummed his fingers on the table "Get Paul Drake on the phone I want a tail on that man when he gets out of here."

"What do you think he wants?"

"To confuse me with lies or blackmail me to make me back down." He looked into her eyes and smiled that cheeky grin, "Or some other form of threat."

She had already moved to the phone and got through to Paul's answering service, who put her through, she looked at Perry to see if he wanted to talk to Paul, he shook his head one hand grinding into the other.

"Paul its Della, Perry wants you to tail a Mr Roger Fraser, he's in our office, we can probably delay him..." she checked with Perry he gave a nod, "ten minutes, he is wearing a grey suit, pin stripe, expensive green tie with black fleur delis, black shoes, black hat with a brown band, about 5'8" dark blonde hair. Anything else you want him to know chief?" this last she addressed to Perry, one ear listening to Paul repeating what she had told him while he wrote it down. Perry shook his head.

Down the line Paul said,"Tell him I'll check in with him later."

"Thanks Paul," she hung up, the detective had already gone.

"Very detailed Miss Street, how long was he in your office?"

"Long enough for him to give me the creeps. Smooth criminal type," she responded. "Do you want me to sit in?"

"No, I'll leave the speaker on though so you can get the details. I'm not his lawyer it is not a privileged discussion," he explained at her raised eyebrow.

She nodded without further comment.

He closed the file that he had been working on just as she brought Mr Fraser in.

"Mr Fraser this is Mr Mason," she introduced them.

"Thank you Miss Street," Perry said his eyes did not leave the very good looking man Della had referred to as smooth and creepy, his face showed nothing.

"Have you got a death wish Mason?" the man demanded angrily.

"No," Mason responded, he did not offer the man a seat, but stood himself considering he was trying to stall the man, he then held out his hand.

"You know who I am?"

"I know."

"Maskie brought those dangerous crooks into my sisters life, into my life, and you go asking them details of deals I made with them through Maskie, insinuating that I had ripped them off. He dragged me into this mess, not the other way round, you should remember that before you go slinging mud."

"Have a seat Mr Fraser lets see if we can work out a resolution that leaves no mud on anyone."

"I don't care if mud is left all over Maskie, or egg or s ..." Fraser said angry. Mason could tell he was used to intimidating and not negotiating.

"Maskie told me you signed him up, not the other way around, perhaps I have gotten the wrong end of the stick." Perry said with a confused expression.

Fraser calmed down at this admission, this was going to be easier than he anticipated, he had heard the lawyer was a lot tougher than this pussycat. He sat down holding his hat.

"Two years ago, Maskie came to me, he was broke, he wanted me to lend him some money to get into a deal, ten percent interest mind, I said I would be happy with four, being family and all, and my kid sister of course"

"Of course, very generous."

"Well he put my name down on the deal alongside his own."

"You signed it?"

"Well yes, I thought it was a house deal you see,"

"I see."

"You will back off won't you? He will only get us all into further trouble, best we can do is pay them off and never deal with them again."

"I'll talk to him." Mason promised.

Della buzzed. "Your next appointment is here Mr Mason."

"Show them into the law library," he stood up, turning to Fraser "I am sorry I can't give you more time, but perhaps if you make an appointment I can..."

"No Mr Mason I just can't have you floating it around that I got Maskie into this deal. These are not forgiving people. "

Della opened the door to show Mr Fraser out, he was much less tense, and walked straight passed her. Satisfied his message had been received. She returned to the office door and waited for Perry to look up.

"Della can you get hold of Philip Maskie?"she pointed to the phone

"He is on line two chief."

"Thanks," he murmured picking up the phone and pressing the button.

She saw the line light go out and returned to his office. "What did Philip say Chief?"

"He said Fraser had threatened him, that Fraser has some documents supposedly purporting to show that Fraser was tricked into this deal."

"Forgeries."

"Yes."

"Did you tell him to go to the police?"

"Yes."

"Are you going down there with him?"

"Yes, but I'll have to go straight to the airport from there." He tapped his fingers on his desk. "I'm going to get him to leave town for a week or two. He can go to the airport with me."

"Do you want me to come with you. I can drive you out after. We can drop your car at the your apartment and get your things."

He nodded,"I'll be back on Monday," he said.

"Well surely Phillip can't get into trouble between now and Monday." she commented.

He glanced at her with a frown, "Della you know not to say 'can't' it has a dreadful way of backfiring."

"Maybe you should take him along with you as a body guard," she suggested. "He might be able to keep you out of trouble with your brother."

"Very funny. Do you want to get your things and we will head off." He pointed at her desk,"Before you have any more bright ideas."

* * *

She drove them both to the airport, Phillip Maskie complaining the whole way that it was an over reaction. Perry was unmoveable on the issue and both of them got out of the car. Perry had already explained the dangerous connections that Fraser had and that it was unlikely that he would be content with a warning shot fired at Phillips lawyer."Go in and get your ticket, then meet me by the lost baggage counter." Perry directed him. Phillip Maskie nodded, then with a childish pout begrudgingly thanked Della for the lift.

"Bye Phillip, its for your own good you know, they're a nasty bunch of people."

"I know, Miss Street" he admitted begrudgingly, before pulling his hat firmly down on his head and moving off.

Perry was watching her, watching the amusement mixed with concern in her eyes and then those eyes turned on him.

"I can't understand how he could get into such a mess Perry," she commented. But he was only thinking that it would be three whole days before he saw her again. Because they were in public he did not lean in and kiss her not even on the cheek.

"Bye," he said.

"See you Chief," she drove off but it didn't help, his smoldering eyes were burned into her conscience.

* * *

That evening, the feel of those eyes at the airport forced her to think about what had happened. The discussion she had suppressed. It had been the Saturday Night, the night they had met Mr Aston Gabriel, after the events of that evening and after they had left the party. Paul had offered her a lift. Perry had insisted he would take her. She had asked him if he was still hungry and he had said yes, but the intense look he gave her left her in no doubt as to what the subject of his hunger was. She had offered not the slightest bit of resistance, melting into his embrace and his lips like a smitten teenager. It quickly escalated but a wave of good sense hit her, with one hand she pulled him to her, with the other she pushed him away. She ripped her mouth away turning her head.

"Perry," she husked when she had meant to say,'stop.'

He kissed her cheek and her neck, "I need you," he protested her withdrawal.

"We've been down this road." she whispered huskily, "those wounds are best left alone."

He stopped kissing her, "I left you with wounds?" he asked.

"Yes, you broke my heart," that, she had definitely not meant to say out loud.

"How did I do that?" he asked.

"Oh you're just you," she took his hand and rubbed the back of it with her thumb, trying to rub out those words she had just uttered, "I was fool enough to fall for someone who gives their all to save their clients, whose dedication to his job attracts me just as much as his handsome face and killer eyes."

"You think I'm handsome?" he asked encouraged, nibbling her ear.

She stopped him and held his face with both her hands,

"I think you are the most wonderful, brave strong man that I have ever known, and I am so proud to work for you," she smiled at him, "and I am very very attracted to you, but I ..."

"Yes."

"But outside of our work relationship I can not be taken for granted, disregarded, a comforter to be used when you remember you are cold." She was putting this badly, "Working for you is the most important thing in my life, I can't jeopardise that because... because in your personal life I can't settle for a bit part."

"Is that how I make you feel."

"Its not your fault. I understand Perry, I know how important your work is, I believe it is and as your secretary, your friend, I can support you, completely. But I can't carry that through as your lover. It hurts too much." He was silent, god she hated it when he was silent, when it was directed at her.

His mind was churning had it been that long since he had held her told her how much he loved her.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, but he had no further words, he had blown it, blown his chance with her because what she said was true, he had always taken her for granted.

"I don't think you could change," she said softly stroking his hand to take the sting out of her words,"I don't want you to change Perry. Your wonderful because of what you are".

"I left you with wounds." he repeated so softly. His heart breaking to think he had not realised how much he had hurt her. Worse he hadn't even thought about it. "You know how I feel about you." he said.

"I did not mean it that way."

"No, you didn't mean to say it out loud," he corrected her.

She smiled sadly, he knew her so well, about some things, "No I didn't mean to say it out loud."

"Why the wounds?"

She sighed and moved away from him, he wasn't making this easy, for him their lives weren't separate, no difference in their work and home life.

"Can't you forget I said that."

He thought about that request for a moment, twisting his pinky ring, then replied "no, no I can't forget ."

Della paused and then took in a deep breath, considering her words, knowing that she had been putting off this conversation which had made it worse.

"It hurts to know that I can never be the number one priority in your life, and worse to know that I accept that, because what you do, what we do is more important than us."

She wanted to stop talking, but she had to explain, explain that she did not blame him for the wounds.

"I am good at my job, I know how to do it, I know my place and I know ..."

"You are the best at your job, you are irreplaceable," he murmured, not looking at her, not really wanting to hear her interpretation of their relationship.

"But I can't play that same role as your lover, I can't be waiting for you to remember I'm there," she took a big breathe. "I can't turn this desire I have for you on and off,"

His body reacted to her, his heart raced and his palm sweated, hearing her say out loud that she desired him.

"You think I don't know you're there?" his tone incredulous.

"No, its, ... I know you can't be distracted when you are on a case I understand that but I don't want to be your secretary with benefits. I know I can't have what I need from you and it hurts. It hurts to know I will never love anyone the way I love you, but for me to do my job, to do my job to the best of my ability, I have to shut away these other needs..."

"Why?" he didn't understand and she was failing in her explanation.

"Because eventually I will want you to change and when you don't I will resent you. I would rather leave than resent you." She wasn't sure if she had even admitted that to herself before and felt sick to her stomach. She drew in a breathe and let it out slowly trying to find calm, there was a kind of relief mixed with the pain that she was being honest with him and herself

"Marry me." he said.

"Now you are just being silly," she said quietly, "Marry you and give up work?"

"I wouldn't ask you to give up work." he said.

"Very respectable that would look," she scoffed.

"You know I don't care about things like that."

"Perry it is your reputation, your devotion to justice, your high moral standards that allows Tragg to give you room to move..."

"I'm not sure my moral standards are that high," he interrupted in his low voice then sighed, "You're right to be angry, I was reminded how much I want you tonight because of the way I saw that man look at you, look at you with hungry eyes, realised that I had not kissed you for over four months," He took her hand and kissed it.

It took all her strength to pull her hand away,

"I'm not angry Perry, its just they way it is."

"You know I would give you anything you desired," he whispered almost absently. Then he stood up and paced her small lounge.

"You do, you give me purpose, a job I love, and you give me a chance to help people far above what I would have ever achieved stuck in some secretarial pool in corporate law."

"You're overcomplicating this Della," he said, leaning against her wall.

"Easy for you to say, you're a man," she replied glad it didn't come out quite as bitterly a she felt.

"I am in love with you," he said simply, "What am I meant to do?"

"What you mean when you are not making me work fifteen hours days seven days a week?" she asked with a cheeky grin trying to change the mood.

"Yes."

He shut his eyes and waved his finger at her,"Don't you dare say it." he warned her. Fearing what she was going go suggest. There was no one for him but her, how could she even think it.

"Goodnight Chief," she suggested instead.

He closed his eyes making no effort to move.

"Goodnight Perry," she tried.

"That's better, now I will go, I'll be able to sleep remembering the sound of my name on your lips."

She held the door open for him, as he he walked passed her with eyes half closed. He stopped and bent so she could kiss him on the cheek. "Now shoo." Neither of them had got much sleep.

* * *

Della fixed herself a drink. Tonight at the airport she had had to stop herself reaching up to kiss him. She closed her eyes, was she acting childishly, she had not wanted to fall in love with him. He was such a big presence, he swallowed her up. She knew if she didn't work for him it would not be the same. He needed all of her and he didn't care to differentiate. 'Marry me', he said that now, but she suspected a large chunk of that love was created because of how effective they were. What would she be if she lost that, she would lose him too, and if she stayed and was both she would have no self left. At least this way she still had her own place. She just had to convince him that it was a passing fancy, and once she convinced him she would work on convincing herself. That decided she went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

TCOT Timid Butler

Chapter 3

Paul picked her up from her apartment, she answered the door with the smile. He pursed his lips letting out a "Mhmm mmhm helloo Beautiful,"he drew it out in a long sentence. She grinned at him and she stood aside to let him in.

"Very smooth," she commented appreciatively, her eyes running up and down the long length of him, her eyes took in his tuxedo,"Aren't I the lucky one?" this in her smokey voice made him roll his eyes upwards.

He mock groaned, "Lady, you have way to innocent a face to be so dangerous."

He was rewarded with her rich chuckle.

"Fix yourself a drink, I'm nearly ready."

"You look ready." Paul commented. Her dress was strapless, fitted bodice, a rich dark red satin, underneath black tulle, flared enough for dancing.

He poured them both a drink, adding soda to hers and ice to his.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going now?" he asked, leaning against her kitchen door.

"The invitation is on the table in the kitchen," she called out from her bedroom. He picked it up and read it "Wow!" he wandered down the hall and stood in her doorway, while she put the last touches of makeup on.

"You must have made an impression on him," he said looking at her, only a hint of color on her cheeks gave away anything as she concentrated on her lipstick.

"I am sure Mr Gabriel can't wait to let go of those spritely young fillies and get his hands on me."

"Aw Della, you have half the legal world panting after you, age has nothing to do with it. You have class and beauty," he handed her her drink and toasted her, "Plus your gutsy and fun to boot," they clinked glasses, she smiled at his compliment.

"He probably needs some chaperones for all those young girls running around throwing themselves at him," She told him. "In the meantime we get to dance the night away."

"And,"Paul added, "he is providing the food and the drink and as I hear it these Hollywood types don't like to eat."

"So?"

"So there will be plenty of food for me to eat my way through."

"I invited you because you can dance,"she said laughed, "Not to eat your way to Christmas."

"I thought you invited me because Perry turned you down," he commented slyly. She smiled mischievously and tapped the invite, "Its a Salsa evening, Perry doesn't Salsa."

He laughed, "Very well done Miss Street, I guess you have been hanging around with the boss too long, but to pull a swifty like that on him and he doesn't even know." He waggled his finger at her.

"I think you are being unfair Paul, I didn't book his flights until after I asked him. How was I to know he was out of town."

For a moment she thought he was going to comment on the two of them but he obviously thought better of it. He grinned at her instead and asked "So what was your back up plan?"

"I was going to tell him it was a Salsa party. I knew you were free."

"And how did you know that?"

"Because Margo cleared your diary for me."

"You girls are as thick as thieves."

"Us girls have learned to stick together," Della pointed out.

* * *

She was having so much fun, the music was superb, plenty of dancing partners. They had met so many new people. Paul had lead her upstairs in search of food, he had spotted it and left her leaning by the rail watching the dancers and the band down below. She felt a warmth touch her forearm and turned expecting Paul. She smiled at the pleasant surprise, it was Mr Gabriel leaning next to her, he glanced at her. "Miss Street I think you've lost the star struck edge," he commented sadly, "you have so many famous rich men in your life?"

She chuckled, "Oh a few." She let him kiss her hand.

"You are wondering why I invited you?"

"Some, but I have had so much fun, now I don't think I really care." She looked into his eyes, "As long as you weren't motivated to try and get to my boss through me," she qualified honestly. "Besides I simply love Salsa dancing."

He laughed, her frankness was refreshing, she was refreshing. He had let his head be turned for so long by the bright shiny young things that he had possibly given up some things that were worth keeping. Vaughan had warned him about wallowing in the shallowness of the movie business.

"No, it wasn't because of your boss, not really, its because you are brave, I like brave women."

"Brave why would you say that?"

He took a sip, as if he had lost the direction of his thought. His eyes ran over the small crowd. He was not to be hurried.

"Like me, you are an observer of people," he began.

"How would you know what I am?" Della asked, trying to ignore the spark she felt that he been paying enough attention to her to be able to comment.

"I was curious about your friend Mr Mason, why he would come to see my friend Vaughan." He was watching her now and not trying to hide it, "I saw him look at you when Vaughan spoke and you gave him an almost undetectable nod. I am much more observant than I appear. I don't need to make sense of them, I find that if I its important sense will come of its own accord. You are too though good at details, observation and curiosity." he realised he had started to ramble and got back on track."Tell me what you think Vaughn's number one quality is?"

"To you you mean?" she clarified. He nodded.

"Oh I don't know," she was wondering when Paul was coming back but saw him chatting up a red head. "His pretty face, " she said, leaning back from the railing but looking out into the crowd. His eyes crinkled into a smile, she had a sharp tongue this one, but he shook his head in mock seriousness.

"Close but no it is truthful nature, for some reason he can not lie to me. He understands loyalty also."

"How did he ..." she stopped, Perry had coached her enough to not give away information like that. He smiled as if he could read her thoughts.

"How did he know you were there?" he guessed her thought, touched her chin, she felt a shiver, but she did not feel uncomfortable, she suspected that she should.

"Because you were brave, he recognized your perfume only when he smelt it a second time. He wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't have brought your boss up to see him." He leant in to her and breathed in through his nose,"it is singularly intoxicating."

"You don't know its the same," she said dropping any pretension that she had not overhead that conversation.

"I do, its Diorissimo" he said, she was impressed, she should have been apprehensive he was right. Although she correctly interpreted his expression of 'expensive for a secretary.' She ignored that look, she was used to ignoring that look.

He signaled for two more champagnes and handed her one.

"So brave because you overheard two men viscously threaten each other, one a wealthy respected producer the other a dressed up thug. Yet you and your friends come and hold your hands out to a former two bit thug."

She thought about, it wasn't just her though, it had been the three of them that had decided, they just hadn't discussed it, had just known.

"Your not wrong though, he has a temper, and he did stupid things when he was younger, but if he made angry threats they were only empty threats," Gabriel continued.

"You've known him for a long time."

"Yes, since I was eight, when my parents moved to America."

"Your accent is still very strong." she observed.

"I returned to Italy when I was for a number of years, but Vaughan was my first American friend, he looked after me on the streets, he does a very good Italian accent."

"I'm still not sure I get the connection." she did but she was delaying him leaving her now. Someone else might refer to it as flirting.

"He told me what he had said to Maynard, but it was only after you stopped by that he said he had smelt your perfume before, you see I've trained him to report stuff to me. I put two and two together after your Mr Masons chat."

"I was not in danger," she said, not while Perry was with her, still not really understanding why he thought her brave.

"No, no you weren't but he would never have known you overheard that conversation if you hadn't have come up, it was only through my questions that he put that together."

He toasted her, "Brave because you chose to believe in someone who has less influence and who I could, if my press is correct,"drop like a hot potato" at the hint of scandal."

"Oh I don't think you would drop him like a hot potato."

"Why is that?" he asked her.

"I am beginning to suspect Mr Gabriel that you might be a little less shallow than your press implies."

"I think we are going to get on just fine," Gabriel said. This time when he smiled it reached his big brown eyes, "Can I interest you in dance Miss Street,"

"Yes please," she said with a flirty grin. She didn't count them, but she knew when Paul took her home that she had danced a great many of the dances that remained with the charming Aston Gabriel, who proved to be a superb Salsa partner. Paul was wrapped up in a redhead starlet and gave Della the full run down of her attributes on their way home. Dawn couldn't be far off.

* * *

The rest of the weekend she spent replaying that evening over and over and even went so far as to go and buy some new Salsa records. Sunday she ran around catching up on all her chores before the week ahead. Her phone rang, she reached behind her clock, to flick on the lamp. It was past twelve Sunday night, she had been sound asleep, but the phone could penetrate her deepest dreams.

"Hello?" she asked gravelly voiced into the phone.

"Della." his voice was soft almost a whisper. She came immediately awake and sat up, switching on her bedside lamp. "Perry whats wrong?" her heart pumping at a million miles an hour.

"Oh sorry, I know its late, nothing, I just wanted...'to hear your voice he thought, but some how let worse words slip out, "to know what you were wearing to bed. " he said in a teasing tone, it was only half a lie, he hadn't meant to say it, had just been trying not to say that he loved her.

"I am wearing my flannelette" she responded, sleepy enough to answer the question, but then a little bit angry at the panic he had just caused in her. He heard it in her tone and sighed.

"I'm sorry Della. I just had to hear a friendly voice."

"That bad huh," her tone softened.

"Family eh." he cleared his throat, "did you have fun on Friday?"

"Yes." she yawned.

"I'm sorry Della I'll let you get back to sleep" he said a sadness in his tone that tugged at her heart.

"Perry ..."

"Yes."

"I didn't tell you the complete truth?"

"When?"

"When I said I was wearing flannels, it wasn't quite true, I am wrapped in flannelette sheets but I'm in a cream satin nighty. Goodnight." She hung up, her face burning that she had just said that. On the other end of the phone he looked at the dead receiver still chuckling appreciatively to himself. Behind him in the shadows his brother retreated into the other room. He put the kettle on and waited for him.

In her bed Della had her face pressed into the pillow she could feel how hot she was, how flushed her face was, knew it would be completely red. Why had she said that to him, why, after she had been so adamant about their not being together and then she let out a flirty statement like that, worse than flirty, she thought. It was not her way. How was she going to face him. But the embarrassment faded at the memory or his rich warm tones, his chuckle as she hung up on him, she felt warmth flood other parts of her body and groaned. She was going to find it difficult to get back to sleep now. The embarrassment she would deal with later.

* * *

"Bit late for a phone call isn't it?" his brother accused him. Perry looked at him nearly telling him that the hour was never too late for him to call her, but he did not want to start that fight again.

"I am sorry I didn't mean to wake you," he said instead.

"You didn't wake me Perry, I am sorry for saying what I said earlier, it is not my place, and what I just said. It is not my reputation I worry about though, I mean, " he rubbed from his nose to his lips, the exact same gesture that Perry used.

"I am expressing this badly, if you are both happy with how you are then its no body else's business not mine, not Emma's, we care about you, she is ... I don't understand why you don't marry her is all, she loves you, even I can tell that."

"Sebastian she won't marry me." He must have been tired to admit that to someone else.

"You've asked her?" he was surprised at that. Surprised at the great Perry Mason loosing it over one woman had been angry at him because he imagined he'd never asked her.

"Many times. We..., we did nearly get personal, but, it didn't last. She ..." Perry stopped admitting that was way to painful, he couldn't admit the truth.

"I am sorry Perry." Sebastian said as he readjusted his opinion of his brother. Perry looked at him surprised to see genuine sympathy in his eye.

"I don't know what I would have done if Emma hadn't have married me."

"Is that all? no lecture."

"Maybe a small one, Emma would never, not for a second, think my work is more important than her, not for a second."

Perry watched him, his eyes narrowed. But Sebastian patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning."

Perry had got little sleep, but he looked no worse for wear as he walked into his brother's kitchen.

"I can't get you to change your mind Perry?" Sebastian asked.

"No, I am not going to change my mind."

"Can we agree to disagree on this Perry I don't want it putting wedge between us, we see each other little enough as it is. I'll have a split drawn up." This was a massive concession on the part of his brother, and Perry acknowledged it with a nod of agreement.

"Okay Seb." he smiled at his brother. "We will agree to disagree."

"And why don't you bring Della out next time you come, its been awhile since we saw you both."

"We'll see what we can do," he replied.

* * *

Perry was on the plane back, the newspaper tucked in the pouch hadn't been read. He pulled it out, it was a section of saturday's paper he opened it up. His breath faltered as he saw her face, it was in the entertainment page, she was laughing, Paul had her by the arm, the caption though was slightly more incriminating, "_Which LA attorney's team were out playing with movie stars while the boss was out of town_?" The story was less so, a private party that Della and Paul had attended along with a hundred other people, a salsa night of all things.

He had missed her, his brothers words had hit a sore spot, and then this he shoved it back into the pouch angrily. He was being unreasonable, he knew that, she had asked him first after all, she just hadn't said what for. It didn't help knowing that he would have turned her down if he hadn't have been busy, Salsa was not his style.

It was Monday evening before he got back to the office. She was in the office still, he could hear her typewriter clicking at a hundred miles an hour. He had forgotten about his midnight call and when he walked through with a brief hello, he imagined the flush on her face was related to the newspaper article. She was taken back by his curt manner, but followed him through with his messages.

He was distracted and paid her little attention. Not unusual if he was preoccupied, it kept her on her toes, made her make sure that she was providing the support that he needed. Made her sure about the dynamics of their relationship. She gave him a run down of the days events and asked if he needed anything, otherwise she would call it a day. He barely looked at her , no there was nothing he needed, nothing she needed to stay back for. She nearly asked him what was wrong, but sensed he was brooding deeply and decided to let it be.

By the time he thought he should ask her out to dinner she had already cleared out, and he remembered she had stuck her head in and said 'goodnight' which he had ignored. It was well past nine o clock. His brothers comments drifted in and out of his thoughts like a niggling toothache.

They never spoke of his phone call, nor of his query, nor her reply. It went the way of numerous looks, touches, comments and even kisses, into the bin of 'it didn't happen' and they got on with their lives. He never asked her for details about the party, but she knew he's seen the article it had been on his desk.

* * *

For Della, caught up in a glamourous world of late dinners and shows, her focus on her work shifted slightly, it was no longer the only thing in her life. Paul had started dating the redheaded starlet he had met on the night of the Salsa party and they were regularly invited out in Gabriel's entourage. Late dinners, and dances, the times the show people kept seemed to somehow work well with the late nights that Della and Paul were used to working. They invited Perry a couple of times, but he refused, he didn't tell them to stop so they didn't.

Della couldn't believe how alive it made her feel, she knew she should be incredibly tired, but she had long learnt to get by on four and five hours sleep, and these people with there smarmy charm were fun. Vaughan adored her, and Aston was even more charming the more she got to know him. His crew were mostly his friends from what they called the old days, his inner circle, a circle he protected ferociously. She realised that they had gained entry to that inner circle because of their attempt to protect Vaughan. And here he was staring at her with those dreamy brown eyes as she looked out over the City.

"I've had a wonderful evening, thank you." she said,"thank you again."

"It doesn't have to end Della," he said shyly. She turned to look at him unconvinced by this show of nervousness.

"I think I am a bit old for you Mr Gabriel," she replied, not pretending to miss the connotations of his statement.

"You are younger than me Miss Street," he pointed out reasonably, "And we get a long just fine, you make me feel like a man," he grinned. "I mean you don't see a movie star when you look at me, its like we have known each other for ever."

"I think I should go," she said. But he stopped her with the lightest touch of his finger on her forearm, "I have never met anyone like you." he said, "How could I not be completely smitten with you, " he leant in gently and kissed her, she was blushing, he was hardly unattractive himself.

"It wouldn't be appropriate." she murmured, not sure if she was speaking to him or herself. He laughed at her, "Because of your job you mean?"

She nodded, he teased her with his next words.

"I can be very discreet you know, no one would ever suspect, you are much to chic to be hollywood and I am ..."

"A playboy..." she suggested.

"I simply adore you Miss Street, you and your wicked tongue," he kissed her again, "Come I will have Butler take you home, before you tell me no."

He walked her to the door, Butler had gone to get the car, "You know Della, I did not suggest an undercover affair to protect my reputation, I would be proud to have you on my arm for all the world to see. If you chose." She watched him speaking, he had such a sexy voice, he could read out a recipe and it would be to die for,

"I like having you around," he continued, Butler returned and whatever Aston was going to say he didn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

While Della was not available to Perry in the evenings her work did not suffer but it did come to a head when she got in her normal time of 7.30am to find Perry already in the office. He was dialing numbers as if some great offense had occurred to him.

"New job Chief?" she asked. His expression was hostile, she could normally have coped with that but it was directed at her with such intensity that she took a step back, and the breath drained out of her so she could not speak.

"Get Paul Drake in here, if he doesn't answer, get me a detective that can cope with working outside of business hours," he demanded.

Personally she could weather his rare tantrums, but that was an unfair statement and she stepped into his office and shut the door, knowing that it sealed the room off from any possible eavesdropping.

"Have you got something you want to get off your chest?" she asked.

He looked at her, not expecting to be challenged, not by someone who had not answered their phone up until two o'clock in the morning. She didn't look tired, she was wearing a set of pearls, around a black turtle neck and dark grey skirt, looking professional and savvy and they were not pearls that he had given her. This only annoyed him more.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not appearing terribly interested.

"I think Paul has earned his stripes," she said without further elaborating, because she knew she didn't need to. He met her steady gaze then dropped his eyes.

"I will update you both at the same time. Maskie has gone missing," he said grumpily, and she realized it was as much of an apology as she was going to get, she left.

* * *

When he had both of them in the room he took the coffee from Della and gave them the run down.

"Phillip Maskies disappeared. He was staying with his uncle in San Francisco for the last month, then he up and left on Monday." Perry told them crushing his fist into his palm in frustration. Paul and Della glanced at each other.

"But Chief, the hearing is in two days."

"I know Della."

"I'm on it," Paul said, exiting the office.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Ask Mr Fraser to come and meet me tomorrow."

"We're not ready to meet with Mr Fraser."

"I know, I know." he glanced at her, "But he doesn't know that. Let's turn up the heat on him, maybe he'll ask for a continuance."

"Its risky Chief."

"I don't have a choice." he continued to grind his fist, he shoved a cigarette in his mouth, but couldn't light it, she reached over with a match and he held her hand to steady it while he lighted his cigarette. He smiled his thanks.

"Paul will find him Chief," she said softly.

"He better otherwise there will be a warrant out on him if we don't" he squeezed her hand and let it go, with that one motion apologizing for his bearlike behavior earlier, he was rewarded with a smile.

"I'll get those files," she said.

* * *

"Rough day?" Aston asked her, they were alone in his apartment, it was a Wednesday night, she was still in her work gear, he had had a car pick her up from the office. They'd had a quiet dinner just the two of them.

"Oh lying clients, disappearing clients, grumpy ..." she stopped realizing she was about to criticize her boss. He stood behind her and massaged her shoulders, "That's nice." she said.

"I'm buttering you up," he admitted. She took hold of his hand and pulled him around to sit in the chair next to her.

"And why is that Mr Gabriel?" she asked him, her face serious, but a smile flickering in her eyes.

"Because I need to ask you something about your boss."

"Perry what about him." He watched her protective walls snap into place.

"I know he doesn't generally deal with hollywood types, but I am concerned about Butler."

"Butler?"

"He's being acting odd, I am afraid he is in trouble, he won't tell me what it is."

"What does that have to do with Perry?"

"I just thought if he could have a word to him, I'll pay of course, I just, well you know, if he is in big trouble, he won't know how to get out of it. You know how he idolizes your boss. You know how we have all ..."

"Overprotected him, yes I have noticed," she said, she was still holding his hands.

"He's Vaughan's nephew." he said as if that excused their behavior, "But the combination of Butler and Delray seems to make things worse."

"Delray doesn't hang in your crowd."

"No, he..., Vaughan doesn't trust him."

"But Delray and Butler have been friends for a long time haven't they."

"Yes, they go way back."

He looked at her apology written all over his face that he was even asking.

"Then Delray went into nightclubs."

"Well Delray went into hospitality, he knew what hollywood people need."

"And what is that?" Her face was so serious and concerned and he could see more questions bubbling their way to the surface.

"Privacy." he said and leant forwards to kiss her on the lips forgetting for the moment about his request for help.

* * *

He showed her out, "I guess I broke my promise," he apologized.

"What promise was that?" she asked.

"I promised that I hadn't invited you because of your boss."

"You only made that promise on the Salsa night." she pointed out reasonably. "Is that why you invited me tonight?" she asked, he smiled and kissed her hand,

"It wasn't the main reason," He grinned, "But it played a part."

"Are we friends Aston? I don't know any other movie stars. I don't know how they act. Or are you having a break from your life?"

"I hope we are becoming more than friends." He replied,"but like you something had to change for me." His fingers touched hers, she couldn't work out how she had got here, how she had reached this point, and how he seemed to know so much about her.

"I'll have a word to Butler, see if I can get him to talk to Mr Mason."

"Don't you need to ask your boss?" he asked.

She looked him in the eye, "no, no I don't need to ask him." He noticed her tone soften when she talked about him

'Oh girl, you got it bad don't you,' he thought sympathetically. "I'll see you on the weekend?" he asked her, but at her expression, "If you are not working of course."

"I'll see you if I am not working," she agreed.

"Della."

"yes,?"

"I am not sorry for asking help with Butler, he's a good kid, but he trusts too easily and sometimes he..."

"Thinks he's living out a movie?" she finished for him.

He nodded, "He's young, its a hard lesson to learn," she said. He held on to her hand.

"I'm not after just a disposable romance."

"Aston,I..." what could she say. He looked at her in amusement.

"Of course I am happy to be a throw away lover if that is what you need at the moment." She laughed at him. "I don't know what I need right now." She certainly didn't know if she could take this impossibly handsome, extraordinarily charming man seriously.

"Fine," he said, "we'll take it one week at a time." He watched her assessing him, was sure that she didn't realize that as much as he understood her hesitation he wasn't about to let her slip through his fingers on a technicality.

* * *

It was Friday night they had bluffed Fraser and Fraser had begged off on a continuance, but that was the only good news as Paul had run down one false lead after another on Maskie. Paul was slumped in his chair.

"I'm sorry Perry, its like he has fallen off the face of the earth."

"Keep your men looking Paul, maybe extend it to rehabilitation centers."

"Already on it Perry. I've got them checking patients, not just flashing photos."

"Good, good. Well we may as well call it a night." Perry said.

"Have you considered taking up with clients who don't lie, cheat or disappear?" Paul asked him.

"Della doesn't believe we would know what to do with all the spare time," Perry said with a grin.

Paul looked at the end of his cigarette watching his friend over the end of it. He sighed to himself, he knew something had happened between them, something that seemed to make Perry oblivious to the fact that a handsome movie star had Della in his sights. From what Paul could see a woman who had not looked at another man in the last five years was having her heard turn. "Speaking of Della, where is she?" he said instead.

"She's here!" her voice came from the door, she carried in a bag and a tray of coffee.

"Sandwiches?" Paul protested "Honey its dinner time, not lunch ."

"Well we missed lunch so I compromised, these are steak sandwiches. I suppose you want one for the road anyway?"

"Well the boss here has called it a night. But I wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste." He unwound from the chair and took the bag off her before she could put it on the table, she glared at him to no avail, and decided to pull some plates out of the cupboard.

"Folks this is not the way to spend a Friday night," biting into his sandwich he exited. Della looked at Perry who just shook his head with a grin.

"You know I think he is still going to go out to dinner." she declared in mock outrage.

"Well he is a growing boy Della." Perry defended his friend. Enormously satisfied that Della herself was not rushing off somewhere else to dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Della folded up the newspaper, she'd read it from top to bottom, finished her coffee and considered having another one, but she didn't really feel like it, she just didn't want to head back to her apartment. Around her most people were in couples or group having breakfast at the cafe across from her building.

Her two best girlfriends had headed to New York for a week. And Perry, in the past she could have called him up and suggested a picnic, or fishing or even just lunch at his apartment. But how could she do that now, now that she had made herself perfectly clear. They had been friends, good friends, she hadn't even realized that she how deeply she had fallen in love with him, just that she would use any excuse to be with him.

They had a closeness since way back at the start, on trips in his convertible she had always felt comfortable snuggling up to him, he had teased her once when she had suggested maybe he put the top up.

"Ah but then you wouldn't need to slide up next to me." He hadn't put it up and when they had arrived at their destination he hadn't moved his arm wrapped around her. They had been driving in the moonlight flooded with the music of Nat King Cole on the radio.

"Are we going in?"

"Maybe." he'd said in a curious tone.

"Perry what is it?" she'd pulled herself up so that she could look into his face. He'd traced her cheek with his thumb.

"Sometimes I find it hard to say goodnight to you," he admitted. She'd known exactly what he'd meant and the way he had looked at her had caused her heart to pound. His finger had lifted her chin, touching it lightly. He'd kissed her then, gently at first as if she might disappear into the mist, her response was anything but gentle as she'd left him in no doubt as to how she felt. Feelings that she had tried to hide to herself. They had said goodnight that night but only after searing kisses that left them both wanting more.

But now even the closeness was on gone. He had accepted her declarations all too readily. She knew it was partly because she had turned him down, and he didn't understand her reasoning. If she was completely honest she didn't understand, particularly when the sensational brown eyes and excessively charming option was only a passing amusement. A panic thought filled her, what if that wasn't it, what if he had just been looking for an excuse to get rid of her. All he'd ever had to do was smile at her and she went weak at the knees, what if it was all one sided and he hdan't meant it to get that far...it would explain why he had just let her go.

She sighed, he had given her what she asked for, so she had to stop thinking about it. Anything else was being unfair. She could almost hear the smart alec comments of that big lanky gooloof of a detective, "Women! Humph, want you to back of when you're chasing them, and when you back off they want you back." She would not do that to him, there would not be an ounce of flirting, a single speck of lust, an iota of come on. To have part of him was better than having none, she could never live without him, she'd made her choice. Her phone rang a bookend to that thought.

"Hello."

"Miss Street? Della Street?"

She held her breath, those rich sexy attentive tones were the perfect antidote for her ills.

"Yes, this is Della Street speaking." She was fairly certain that he would not have detected disappointment in her tone.

"Della its me Aston."

'as if that voice could belong to any other,' she thought.

"Hello Aston."

"We are going for a drive down to a private beach down south, its only an hour or so away I would love for you to join us."

"I would love to, what do I need to bring?"

"Just your swim costume and towel, Vaughan has taken care of the rest, Butler will pick you up if that is alright."

"That's fine."

"Excellent he will be there in about fifteen." She pressed her fingers to her face, maybe this was a sign for her to move on.

* * *

"Hi Butler, come in, I've just got to grab a few things."

"No rush, by the time Vaughan gets the crew on board we will probably beat them anyway."

He was carrying a package and there was a hesitancy about him even more so than normal. "Then we've got time for a coffee?" she suggested, thinking maybe he would confide in her.

"Yes, yes I'd like that."

"Come on into the kitchen then," she put the coffee pot on."Have a seat." I won't be long."

She got her basket and hat ready and dropped them on the couch before returning to the kitchen. He was moving the package around, she had tried a couple of times to ask him indirectly and decided perhaps the direct approach might be in order.

"Is there something I can help you with Butler?" she asked him. He glanced at his package and then at her.

"I'm ... I'm not sure how to ask this." he was looking back down at his package. She got up to make the coffee that had started gurgling and so he wouldn't feel like she was staring at him.

"Just ask." she suggested kindly.

"You know I left school early." he said, she nodded. They had talked quite a bit on her frequent trips out with the crew."Well I really have tried to catch up, you know how Vaughan is about education. He made sure I went to night school, and I'm glad I did now."

"Would you like help with a project?" she asked.

"Yes, well, yes but its not a school project as such its mine. Delray says I'm wasting my time but I have to try. He reckons there are better ways to make money and thinks I'm being foolish but I've written this you see," he tapped the package.

"Have you given it to Aston to read?" she asked, that seemed the obvious step.

"Its not ready for that, I.. I mean I will but, my English, it needs to be edited and I was wondering if you could given you, well you have to write proper stuff all the time, and I wouldn't have to have someone criticize my story before it was even properly written." He pushed it towards her and took a sip of his coffee. "Can you help with the grammar," he asked her.

"I'd love to, it would make a nice change to reviewing legal documents," she said, "Do they know you've been writing?"

"No, I write at Delray's they have a spare office at the Archane Club and there is always someone there for when I need a distraction. I can get peace to write if need be. Delray and the Penguin share an office, so there is a spare one next to them. Mostly quiet I should say, they have ferocious battles but still, I wouldn't get a chance at home, they would tease me too much." he sipped his coffee thoughtfully, "I think Delray likes having me around, he bounces thinks of me before they get shot down by the Penguin, as much as he says I'm wasting my time, its a bit like the old days, us doing things that the others don't have a clue about."

"Before?"

"Before I got dragged onto the relatively straight and narrow, Delray did a year in juvvy ."

"Well he has done well for himself now hasn't he."

"Yes absolutely, if only they could extricate themselves from that Lurid character. Then with Delray's dreaming and Pengally's, thats the Penguin, his business control the skies the limit."

"They are partners?"

"Yea, Delray and the Penguin go back to juvvy, Delray looked after Penguin's baby brother stopped him getting beaten up and stuff, Penguin helped him when he got out sort of like Aston has done for me and Vaughan. All though its Vaughan who stops Aston going excess and Penguin who stops Delray. Sort of reverse."

"So how does Lurid fit in?" Della asked not seeing any connection.

"Penguin brought him in as a silent partner, Delray hated it at first, I don't think Lurid was all that silent." he thought about it for a moment. "Lurid came into talk to me once while I was writing but someone came to fetch him. He and Pengally, the Penguin, had an blow up, I could hear it through the wall, bits, 'He's Cohen's brother, touch him and you'll ...'Something like that anyway. Penguin came into see when I was back a couple of days later, told me to stay away from Lurid, told me he would bring trouble to Mr Gabriel, he told me to keep my nose clean. He wasn't angry at me, just kinda warning me and all. Lot of people find Penguin a bit creepy, 'specially the girls, but I guess he can't help the way he looks. He and Delray were going to open up another nightclub until Lurid came along. I guess Penguin owes Lurid money or something. He must have something, in public he's as nice as pie but I know he hates him.

"Have you asked Delray?" Della asked realizing that she hadn't drunk any of her coffee because she was too busy asking questions.

"He's pretty smug about it, he reckons Lurid's were its at, that Penguin is too old school." He looked at her in surprise,"Gosh you're easy to talk to, I guess you have to listen to what other people have to say all the time, for Mr Mason, confessions and stuff?"

She laughed knowing that she had been interrogating him just slightly, "I am always interested in other people and what makes them tick," she confessed.

"Do you know what makes me tick?"

"Not yet, although I think you underestimate the support that you would get from your brother and Mr Gabriel."

He looked down at his hands, "I just don't want to disappoint them." he admitted softly.

"Its rarely the people who are prepared to give it a go who are disappointing," she told him, "Now shall we go and enjoy this gorgeous sunshine?"

"You're just swell Della, and I bet you could have gone into the movies when you were younger."

"Referring to a lady's beauty in the past tense is not endearing Butler," she teased him and he blushed.

"I mean, I just mean aww, Della." he blushed again at her laughing at him.

"Come on." Della said standing up.

* * *

Aston hadn't been joking when he said private beach, there were no other people in sight. When they crew went swimming Della decided to take a walk. Not really keen on romping around half naked with these people just yet. She'd headed off but he had caught her up. He was very very relaxed away from the nightlife people, away from any fans and they chatted about all sorts of things, after they had gone some distance he asked her,

"You've spoken to Butler haven't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, eyeing him in surprise, how could he be so sensitive to his entourage. He waited, she was not sure what he expected from her.

"What he told me does not require any assistance from my boss," she said. He studied her openly, she could not read his reaction.

"Thank you for trying," he said. From this statement she could not tell if he thought she had succeeded or failed. To change the subject and to divert the intense attention he was directing at her she asked him to tell her about his childhood.

"Its a long story are you sure you are game," he looked down the beach that stretched ahead of them.

"Its always good to walk off the hours spent trapped behind that desk," she told him.

"Walk or dance?" he said, she smiled and shrugged indicating either. He looked ahead as if deciding what to tell her. His accent was less strong when he began talking.

"My father died when I was thirteen and my mother two years later when I was fifteen, I was sent to live with my uncle in Italy. He was a bachelor and being saddled with a boy who should already be a man was not what he had hoped for but family is family so he took me in.

"That's terrible to loose your parents so young and so close together."

"My father was killed, he had a fruit shop, he refused to pay protection money. I think my mother died of a broken heart." He talked about his life in America and then returning to Italy and how he had fitted in no where, belonged no where, how he and Vaughan had always stayed in contact, how Vaughan had sent him money and helped get him out before the war. She asked him a hundred questions about Italy, admitting that she was incorrigible when encouraged so he had to tell her no if he wanted her to stop asking him questions.

They reached the pylons of an old wooden pier, in the cool shade they rested against the rocks, "So Miss Street, now you know all about me, what about you?"

"Not much to tell, small town girl, I fled from all my school friends who were getting married and having babies, to the city, to LA, as far away as my fare could get me, I went to business school, and worked when I wasn't studying, I got a couple of jobs in secretarial pools before I went to work for Mr Mason."

"And then you fell in love with him." he said.

"Me and half the women in LA."

"And now you're trying to flee from him?" he said gently, sadly, stroking her cheek to take the sting out of his words, her eyes got blurry and she felt a tear run down her cheek,

"Yes. From the love not the work. Working for him is my life." she admitted, she felt his lips on her cheek and he kissed his way around to her mouth, it was as if admitting that out loud freed something dangerous in her and she returned his kisses with enthusiasm if not passion. He drew back from her, they were both out of breath."I am not some frightened teenager to be seduced by your fame." she said, her hands slipped to his waist and she pulled him back to where he had been pressing against her. "Or to be scared of it either," she added.

"That is one of the most attractive things about you" he said, his kiss was more passionate, and vigorous.

His eyes were incredibly intense as if he was trying to read her soul.

"Its been so long since I dated a real woman, I .." he grinned knowing how absurd that sounded, but a smile played on the corners of her mouth, she lifted her eyebrow.

"Go on." how could her voice sound so normal after that.

"You have to tell me, is it just me, is this all one sided because if it is I will back off and we can become the friends but if its not, if there is more and you feel it."

She put both her hands on his chest. "Aston, I have focused on one man for so long I almost don't recognize these feelings that I have for you," she looked up into his eyes, "but I would like to find out where they lead."

He kissed her again and pulled away. "We should go for a swim before I am not able to pull myself away from you." he suggested.

"That sounds fine." Della said, not entirely sure she wanted him to pull away but confusion and guilt allowed her to let him go.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon he was the perfect gentleman as if their intense interlude by the pier had not happened. But when Butler waited for her, Aston stopped her, "Will you join me tomorrow, just me and you?" it was for her ears alone.

"Will you tell me your real name?" she replied.

"If you come tomorrow I will tell you."

"Your on" she agreed. On the drive back she realized what she had agreed to, and now the guilt erupted into a pit of torment in her gut. It was too soon, it was too much. Butler dropped her off, she didn't even remember letting herself in, just found herself face down on her bed hugging her pillow, she watched the ticking of her clock, sure that it was speeding up, bringing her closer to an act that would surely sever anything that he felt for her. How could something she had been so adamant about fill her with such dread. She was the one who had pushed away. She was the one who said it couldn't work, the one who would not try.

Her phone was ringing, the clock registered it was eight o'clock, she had been lying there for hours. She picked it up.

"Della? Della its me Perry."

'Oh God, how unnecessary, she would know that voice if she hadn't heard it for a thousand years'

"Perry? What is it?" Her voice did not betray the slightest hint of her inner turmoil, low and slightly husky. He hesitated then drawing a breathe launched himself.

"Have you got something on tomorrow?"

"Why? What's on?" she asked avoiding the question.

"I am missing something in the Maskie case, I think that we have focused too much on Phillips disappearance. I want to go over it all, I want to review the witnesses statements all the evidence with fresh eyes."

"Of course Perry, do you want me to meet you at the office?"

He hesitated again and then admitted, "I've got all the notes here," he said, they had always been able to work at each others places all hours, in the past "And I've got some steak" he added.

"I'll bring breakfast but the steak that's yours to cook," she said.

"Deal, see you in the morning."

Della listened to the tone then held the phone to her chest, she hung up, it was eight o five. She picked it up again and dialed a number that had become familiar to her in the past months.

"Yes." the gruff voice of Vaughan.

"Hi Vaughan its Della, can I speak to Aston?" she asked.

"Of course you can Honey, wait a second will you."

"Miss Street you are canceling on me aren't you." he guessed.

"Raincheck?" she said.

"Perhaps, you need to answer me a question first."

"Go on."

"Is this rain check because you are having second thoughts about our activities today and where I had intended they lead or is it a raincheck because someone's life is in danger or is it because your boss called and you must run to him."

'All the above' she thought.

"My job is not 9 to 5 anymore than yours is and it someone's freedom if not his life."

"So it wasn't because of today because of what we did today." She chuckled his tone was adorable, rich and earthy and entirely seductive, "no Aston, it's not because of today."

"You are starting to drive me crazy," but his voice was good humored. She wondered if he was too good to be true, this patient, understanding dreamy creature. She hung up the phone, he quickly faded from her thoughts.

* * *

They worked all day, Della had brought them breakfast and Perry cooked them lunch, going over all of Phillips financials, all of the witness statements, each of them reading every bit of evidence, and making notes. It was about ten o'clock, early for them, but he looked over and Della had her face down on her folded arms.

"I'll drive you home Della," he said.

"I'll be alright." she said yawning.

"It wasn't open to question," he replied. She smiled at him, way too sleepy to argue.

"We're still in a mess over this aren't we?" she commented. For a moment he thought she was talking about the two of them and not the Maskie case. His heart almost stopped. If it was a mess maybe she wanted to fix it, maybe she was having second thoughts about them being apart.

"Yes." he replied nervously.

"All we got out of today was more questions." she added, yawning again. He hid his disappointment that she was talking about the case.

"Questions are what we do Della, its because we ask the questions no one else does we get to see different side of things to the police. Come on I'll get you home."

He walked her to her apartment door.

"See you in the morning," he said. For a moment they stared into each others eyes, lost in each others eyes. In what felt a lifetime ago he would have kissed her at that moment, instead he squeezed her hand.

"Goodnight Perry."

It was not movie star brown eyes that Della dreamt of that night.

* * *

Perry sent Paul to San Francisco chasing down Fraser's connections, letting his agents do the follow up on Phillip's disappearance.

"What are you thinking?" Della asked Perry, he was drumming his fingers on the table.

"I'm thinking that we got distracted by Fraser's sleazy side, I think we wanted him to be guilty, when in fact he might just be scared."

"You think Phillip got them into it?"

"It would explain why he disappeared."

"I don't know Perry, Phillips done some stupid things but he's not, he's just not a dirtbag." she said.

"Dirtbag?" he queried she didn't usually use words like that.

"Well you know what I mean, Fraser, there is something not right, everything he has touched smacks of cover up." He thought about it and then nodded.

"You're right," he agreed, "Maybe Paul can dig out something for us."

* * *

"Chicago?" Perry asked Paul, when he threw the plane tickets in his desk."And?"

"And your friend Mr Fraser, before he came to LA via San Francisco, he lived in Chicago, except his name was Guzman. He left some very unhappy vendors in that fair city, they are falling over themselves to help you anything you want, records, signatures, the whole caboose."

"How did you find out."

"Remember when Phillip said his wife had wanted to visit Chicago, had made him stop at a cemetery, how the gravestones had not meant anything to him, but he'd remembered the name because of that boxer who was fighting in Chicago on that day."

"You remembered that?"

"No it was in Della's notes, except she hadn't transcribed them until last Sunday. We talked about it on Monday."

"Good work Paul."

"I'll say, we've hit pay dirt with this one, if we could only find Phillip."

He unwound himself from the chair, "Oh... I did take the day off on Sunday ... did I tell you?"

"No."

"Yea, I went sailing, apparently a certain dreamy movie star had planned a little trip around the bay with a certain brunette who brushed him off to spend the day working with her boss. Lucky for me," he commented as he exited the room. "I got to be on the yacht instead." He left Perry staring after him, a smile broke onto Perry's face for the first time in weeks.

* * *

They had flown in the Chicago witnesses, taken statements

"Well that's it Chief, everything we need to clear Phillip Maskie's name." Della said, picking up the last of his corrections.

"Except Phillip." Perry pointed out unnecessarily. "You were right about Fraser."

"There's a lot of places to check Perry, you know he must be hurt, he would have answered your ad if he was able."

She left him to brood so she could fix up the files and put the final changes in. Paul knocked and entered as she left.

"Listen Perry why don't you come out, Della, Claire and I are going to the Archane club,"

"Bit exclusive." Perry commented.

"Well you know Claire is friends with Gabriel and thats were they are all going tonight." Paul explained unnecessarily.

"No, thanks, I am going to have an early night."

Paul stalled lighting another cigarette, "You want some advice?" he asked. Perry looked at him grimly, sensing the change in topic.

"No," Perry growled.

"Okay, okay, information then." Paul said sucking on his cigarette, he jabbed his cigarette at Perry, "the invite is only partly because of Claire. Great detective that I am beginning to suspect the ringleader is not quite as easily dissuaded as others."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Perry hung up the phone from the Lieutenant. He rubbed his eyes and then returned to rubbing his hands together. then he grabbed his coat and headed over to her place. He knocked there was no answer, but he could hear music from inside, he knocked again still no answer, and slipped the key into the lock

_He opened the door, she was pouring herself a drink, a strong drink, she didn't look up._

"_Now Counsellor, that key was for emergencies only ," she said, her voice husky and delicious._

_She turned and he lost a heartbeat, she was dressed or undressed, in a black satin negligee that clung to her body like a second skin, "So what's the emergency?" she asked him drawing his eyes back up to hers, holding her drink, across her chest as if unaware the effect she was currently having on him. _

"_I heard what happened I was worried about you," he said honestly._

"_It wouldn't be the first time I came across a dead body now would it Counsellor?" she said, it was then that he realized that this was not her first or even her second drink. She saw it in his eyes._

"_Don't worry Mr Mason, I haven't been in public like this, I wouldn't drink this much in public, in fact I wouldn't normally drink this much at home, but it seemed like a good idea. She took a long sip._

"_Della I.." he took a step closer but she turned away from him, _

"_I'll pour you one, it might release that grumpy look that you have on your face," she poured him one and started to refresh her own, he grabbed her hand._

"_Don't " he said softly._

"_Don't what?" she handed him a drink, looking him over, he felt a flush rise to his face, as if he was the one with minimal clothing. He sipped the drink because he didn't know what to do, all his good sense was being overwhelmed by how absolutely sexy she looked. He didn't have an answer for her._

"_Funny isn't Counsellor how well we know each other, like right now you have your court face on, if we were in court, I would know exactly what you were thinking, or atleast what you needed from me, " she touched his face, running one perfectly manicured nail along his cheek. "But here and now I have no idea what you are thinking behind that mask. Disgust? Frustration? Anger? Annoyance? Concern?" she said."Or what you need from me." he groaned._

_She put her drink down and wrapped her body to his, he tried to hold her away._

"_Billings is not my lover Perry," she said. _

"_Della you don't have to say..."_

"_And why not?" she slipped into anger, "Why can't we talk. We are friends aren't we, that's why you are here isn't it, to check on me. Well you've checked on me, now you can go." He put down his glass, "I don't want to leave you like this."_

"_Then ask me who my lover is, ask me why I am mixed up in this mess."_

"_I don't want to know who your lover is Della, and Tragg already knows you weren't there when it happened."_

_Her eyes narrowed at that, "Why are you hiding behind your Court face Counsellor?" the anger gone as if the tap had dried up. She took his hands and put them on her waist, then slipped her arms up around his neck, _

"_It was Aston." she said, but she dropped her eyes not willing to see the expression change on his face._

_He tipped her chin up forcing her to look at him, "What do you see in my face now?" he asked her, she ran her finger along his bottom lip, "Concern."_

"_And?" but she pulled away from him not believing what she wanted to see._

_She walked into her bedroom, in the doorway she stopped not facing him and slid her gown off over her head. _

_He groaned audibly, and followed her, stopping her before she reached the bed, kissing her as if he would never get to touch her again._

"_Who do you want to be sleeping with Della?" he asked her, part certain part scared of the answer._

"_You, only you, only ever you," she whispered in husky tones that sent electric shocks up his spine._

"_Then he doesn't matter Della. Only you and I matter."_

"_Love me Perry."_

"_I do Della,I do." he whispered into her neck breathing in her scent, tasting her._

He woke up and was sitting at his desk in his office, he shook his head trying to work at at what part of that was real and what part was dream. He had got a call from Lieutenant Tragg, he had gone to her apartment. He had put her to bed alone. There was no perfume on his skin, he sighed, this was not the time for this to be getting out of control. A man had been murdered and if Burger had his way Della had been the first one on the scene. The familiar ratattatat on his door signaling Paul distracted him, he went and opened it.

"Brother, you look like you haven't slept." Paul said, he didn't look much better.

"I just got an hour on the desk,"

"Comfy. Did you see Della?"

"I got there about twenty minutes after Tragg dropped her off, she was a bit under the weather, I put her to bed." He rubbed his unshaven chin, "I dropped by on my way in here, she was still out like a light, I left a note for her."

"That's not like her, not when there's a case." Paul said concerned.

"She'd had a couple of drinks."

"Must have been fast ones, she hardly touched a drink all night, you know what she's like. Whats the next move?" he asked. Perry looked at his watch.

"Who have you got watching the Arcane Club?"

"Felix."

"Lets stop by there first then I have to bring Della back here to talk to Tragg."

"I bet the DA liked that,"Paul said.

Perry shrugged, "He had to argue with Tragg over it. Tragg knows the body was cold when Della got there."

"Still Della was the first one in there, Butler holding the gun, a dead Delray, you know what Burger is going to think. That she has tampered with the scene." Paul said grimly.

"First things first Paul. Find out who was at that club after you left last night."

There was a note for her when she woke up "Morning Della, I will pick you up at ten o'clock, Tragg wants to see you but he'll come to our office."

Perry, she thought, she didn't remember him being there last night. But she noticed that he wrote "our" and it gave her a warm glow. In fact she couldn't remember anything after that first scotch, she rubbed her face. Her head pounded like a bass drum. She put on some coffee, and thought over the events of last night. Butler his scared face, terrified, holding the gun, and his friend, his closest friend dead.

* * *

She was dressed when he arrived, he looked her over, she was dressed completely conservatively, jacket buttoned up, scarf hiding every bit of flesh, and a long skirt down to her ankles, even looking tired and completely covered she looked completely beautiful.

"Perry when did you come by last night?" she asked him.

"You don't remember?" he was surprised.

"No, Lt Tragg dropped me off, I remember having a drink I was ... I don't know. I woke up in bed."

"Tragg rang me. You didn't answer your phone, I called by about twelve, you had had more than a few drinks," he commented. He had in fact rushed straight over.

He handed her a bottle of aspirin, that he'd brought with him, "here take some of these."

"I hope I didn't ..." she couldn't say it, what could she say, 'embarrass herself, throw herself at him, tell him the truth."

"You told me who your secret lover is," he said, but he wasn't looking at her.

"Oh..." she said quietly, she turned away to picking up two glasses to put them away,"Did you have a drink with me before or after I told you?" she asked.

"during." Now his eyes burned into hers, she was blushing violently.

"You know I don't care." he said.

"I know." she said sadly.

He moved to her, moved to take her shoulders,"I mean I care, it just doesn't change anything between us, it doesn't change how I feel about you," he said but he let her go.

"So you had a drink and then you left?" Not sure how to interpret this information. Knowing he would never take advantage of her if she was as intoxicated as she was regardless of how much she had thrown herself at him.

He closed his eyes, "Let me see you kissed me, you were wearing a black satin negligee, you asked me what I was thinking."

"And then you left?" her eyes narrowed as she watched him, she had no idea if he was teasing her.

"Well I put you to bed first, by yourself and then I left."

"So I was bad," the blush still on her cheeks. He touched her lips with the pad of his finger

"Not as bad as you were later when I fell asleep and dreamt about you," he admitted. She felt her knees going weak, but the massive headache chose that moment to start pounding making it hard for her to think.

"I dropped by about six but you were still sound asleep."

She seemed to have missed his comment about his dream and was looking around at her belongings

"Perry, that bottle of scotch, that was only half full yesterday and you and Paul did that."

"Yes?"

"If I had drunk myself as badly as you say I was, as badly as my head hurts then, there wouldn't be any left would there. Why from what you describe and how little I remember, there should be nothing left."

"You don't remember having much too drink?"

"I had one when I first got home, then I put on a record ... ."

"Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Where I should have taken you last night to the doctor." He took her coat out of the closet by the door and held it for her, he was seething. He made a phone call and then he grabbed her elbow and lead her out of her apartment.

"Perry what is it?" she asked him as they were driving, he smiled at her reassuringly,

"Lets just let the doctor examine you first."He covered her hand with his and squeezed it, she let the questions she had drop.

He was angry with himself, he should have known her better, known that she did not stand around her apartment drinking herself into oblivion. He'd let his jealousy over ride his good sense, override what he knew about her.

* * *

They got back from the doctors to find the Lieutenant waiting for them.

"Thanks for coming here Lt."

"That's alright Perry, it wasn't for you though."

"I know, she's in the library."

"I want to talk to her alone Perry."

"I know."

"Its fine Lt,"Della said from the doorway, "Mr Mason and I don't have any secrets from each other."

Lt Tragg glanced at the two of them, Perry was watching Della and Della was watching Tragg.

"Its alright Della, the Lt won't ask you anything out of order." Perry said.

Tragg looked at Della across the table, after Perry had closed the door. "Why would you be getting mixed up with this crazy lot of people Della?" he asked her. His tone was disapproving.

"You brought me in here to give me a lecture?."

"No, but I should. These are not respectable folk Della."

"What did you want to ask me Lt?" she said wearily. To tired to defend her friends to someone who wouldn't listen.

"Did you see Delray alive last night?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"At the Archane Club, we were there until 9ish," she answered his next question.

"and after that."

"I didn't see him after that not alive anyway," Della told him her voice low.

"Where did you go after the Archane Club?" he asked

"To Penelope's we were there until eleven or so."

"Who were you there with."

"There were seven of us mostly others came and went."

He put his notebook down."I need names Della."Who were you there with and don't tell me Paul Drake, I already know that and that he he has been dating Claire Avery."

"I was there at the invitation of Mr Gabriel." she said."You know how a girl goes all soft over movie stars."

"Don't be ripe with me Della.' he wagged his finger at her.

"I can give you everyones movements between 9 and eleven thirty lieutenant but not the times, I wasn't looking at my watch, and I wasn't paying attention to everyone."

"When I picked you up you said you were heading home."

"Yes I was feeling a bit run down."

"Too much champagne?" His tone was so disapproving, she felt like she was being dressed down by her Father.

"Two glasses - probably not." a thought occurred to her, he saw it in her eyes,

"Yes."

"Ahmm, well Vaughan was going to drop me home and then Butler Billing volunteered to take me said he was leaving anyway. We stopped at the Archane Club, he said he'd left something in the cloakroom, he was gone for maybe fifteen minutes, I went to find him, they said he was in the back office, I went in and he was sitting on a chair holding a gun, frozen. Mr Delray was lying at his feet, I told him to put the gun down and had to take it off him. I checked Delrays pulse and looked at Butler,at Mr BIlling he was staring at me., and then I rang you. I sat with him outside the office until you came in."

"You didn't call Mason?"

"No Lieutenant."

"Okay that will do for now. You will tell me if you remember anything else.'

"Of course."

"Hmmpf." he paused at the door. "Why didn't you ring Perry, Della?"

"The body was stone cold Lieutenant, Butler didn't do it, we'd been there maybe fifteen minutes at the most. He was in shock, Mr Delray was his friend, he needed a friend not a lawyer."

"But when I spoke to Perry, when I told him about you, he already knew, he didn't say so but I could tell." Tragg said, she could tell that this point confused him.

"I didn't ring him Lieutenant."

"Della the papers are going to be all over this."

"I don't expect special treatment Lieutenant." she told him, a tad hostile that he might even think that. His face softened,

"I know Della, I know."

"Are you alright." Perry asked her.

"Yes."

He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Maybe I should take you home and you can get some sleep."

She didn't protest and he took that as agreement, that and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

He saw her to her apartment, "Ring me." he started but left off at her expression.

"What is it?"

"Maynard, you know Astons boss brought the last drinks over, the glass I drank out of was meant for Aston., Vaughan knocked me accidentally, Aston passed me his." His brow furrowed, as he listened, "You don't remember me coming to your apartment?"

"No Perry."

"Did you drink anything else before you got home."

She thought about it, "Only water, at the club, Pengally, the one they call the Penguin gave it to me, when I was waiting for Lieutenant Tragg."

"Get some rest Della."

"Are you going to see Butler now."

"Yes."

"Don't you need me to come with you."

"I need you to get some rest, we've got a big week coming up"

"He's only a boy Perry, he's not very brave, he is used to being protected."

"Its okay Della."

"He wouldn't kill someone."

"I'll speak to him. Is there anything else you need to tell me?" he asked, she shook her head, she had given him a more detailed run down than she had given Tragg.

He didn't like this feeling that it was not Butler she was protecting.


	7. Chapter 7

(Nearly there! Thanks for staying with me.)

Chapter 7

She couldn't look at him, from where he sat glowering behind the defense table, he was poised as if ready to jump up and rip out somebody's throat. She hoped it wouldn't be hers. It didn't make it any more comforting to be sworn in and then have to face the district attorney with Burger's frustration palpable and his eyes bulging out of his head.

Tragg had been unable to keep his promise, the murder had just got murkier and murkier. Burger was set on Billings and he was deeply suspicious about her presence. She suspected Tragg and the District Attorney had had a disagreement over the case, from the questions each had asked her. She knew Burger thought Perry was hiding something, he always thought Perry was hiding something, as if they both were not committed to justice as each other. She was beginning to find his accusations tiresome, he had known them both for long enough and but it didn't change his attitude, he had only two years previously offered her a job in his office. Yet now he was treating her like a criminal. It had to do with Tragg's suspicion that Perry already knew about the murder. He asked her straight forward questions, she stuck to the facts, short answers, he hadn't declared her a hostile witness when he had every right to. But it hovered there unspoken. She had been on the stand for half an hour already. She met his eye unflinchingly, she knew if she glanced at Perry, Burger would only get angrier. Burger believed she was holding out on him.

"Can you tell us when you handled the gun Miss Street?" The crux maybe, she thought, they wanted to suggest that she had done it to smear the fingerprints, to confuse.

"I removed it from Mr Billings hands, he was in sho..."

"Just answer the question." he instructed, glancing at the judge with a quick apology. He quickly moved on ,"You are familiar with the workings of the law aren't you Miss Street?"

"Some," she replied.

"Some?",he smiled insincerely, "I think you are being modest, certainly as Mr Mason's confidential secretary you are privy to strategic decisions that bend the law to Mr Masons ..."

"Objection, immaterial, irrelevant,prejudicial and incompetent." Mason growled without rising from his seat, "The District Attorney is badgering the witness." he added as an afterthought.

"Please your honor this goes to the actions carried out by Miss Street on entering the crime scene."

"Rephrase your question then Counsellor," Judge Barry directed him. Burger looked at Della, a sidelong look, " You know the rules of evidence don't you Miss Street."

"Broadly, yes." she didn't let her frustration show.

"Why didn't you call the ambulance?" His tone suggesting he wanted to understand her inexplicable behaviour.

"The man was dead." There was a snigger from the crowd. Burgers eyes narrowed briefly.

"How could you know that, if your attention was on Mr Billings. Mr Billings who was waving a gun around."

"His face was grey, He wasn't breathing."

"You knew he was dead because his face was grey? I suggest you knew he was dead because you were there when Mr Billings shot him."

"Objection. Badgering."

"Overruled." the judge said with a shade of annoyance."The witness can answer the question."

"Objection, objection, objection. Counsellor is badgering the witness."

"'Sit down Counsellor you have been overruled." The Judges tone remained emotionless.

Della took a breathe, letting calm flood, her remembering what it was like to sit at that desk next to him and ignore all of the jumping and badgering and shouting, to focus on the facts and the statements. She turned to the judge, "May I explain what happened, may I tell it as it happened" Her voice calm and reasonable, after the hysterics of the two attorneys the judge nodded.

"Of course Miss Street."

"Objection your honor." this from both of them, the judge threw them both a fiery look and that sat them down in their seats.

"I went in, Mr Billings was sitting down holding the gun staring at it, he was in shock, I went over to him, and noticed the direction he was looking, his friend on the ground, his best friend, he was distraught, I took the gun off him, removed the bullets then I went and checked for a pulse on the dead man, I took Mr Billings outside of the office, that is when I called Lt Tragg. When the Lieutenant arrived I handed the gun and all the bullets over to him."

"Thank you Miss Street." the judge said. "Further Questions Mr Prosecutor?"

"Yes your Honour, if you knew he was dead why did you check his pulse."

Della returned his stare without a hint of animosity, "I've been wrong about things before."

Unaccountably, Burger blushed and looked down at his papers shuffling them uncomfortably, "Miss Street, you say you did not phone Mr Mason from the Archane Club"

"I did not phone him."

"You did not call him on his private number that only a select number of people including yourself have"

"I did not phone him that night at any time." she reiterated, he looked at her as if he did not believe her, but waved his hand as if it was a minor point to be reinforced later.

"But you know from your years working with him not to touch or remove anything from a scene of a crime."

"Yes I know that."

"That to do so would leave you open to being an accessory after the fact?"

"I know this..."

"Your honor is this going somewhere?" Perry interjected from his feet. "It sounds like a fishing expedition."

"Is there an objection in there?" the judge replied. Perry sat down.

"Were you wearing gloves that night Miss Street."

"Yes."

"Then why did you handle the gun with bare hands, "

"I had removed my gloves when I entered the Arcane club."

"You know how to handle evidence."

"Yes but.."

"So you deliberately fingered the gun to confuse matters?"

"Objection. The District Attorney is putting statements in the Witnesses mouth."

"Overruled, Witness will answer."

"My first thought was to remove the gun from Mr Billings."

"Because he had already fired it." he was badgering her now, and she didn't know why.

"No because he was in shock." she replied calmly.

"Were you there with Mr Billings,"

"He was driving me home." she responded, cursed herself for not answering the question, "Yes I was there with Mr Billings," she added quickly.

"When he first went in?"

"No, five minutes maybe ten before I followed him in."

"Yes."

"Did you ring Mr Mason from the club?"

"No I did not." Her voice had remained calm through the whole interrogation.

"I submit you did, a call was made to his private home number, from the Archane club at precisely 11.35. I submit you did and he told you to handle the gun."

"Objection." Mason said calmly. "Pure conjecture not based on fact or supported by any evidence."

"Sustained."

"Did you speak to Mr Mason while you were at the Archane Club?"

"No I did not speak to Mr Mason from the club, nor did I ring him anytime that evening." she added again cursing herself for not sticking to the question, she drew in a breath.

"Are you aware of the consequence of perjury Miss Street."

"Yes."

"So you are saying Mr Mason did not tell you to touch the evidence."

"No, he did not."

"But he has before hasn't he asked you to do ..."

"Objection,"Perry bellowed.

"Your honor this goes to behavior."

"You are on thin ice but I will allow it rephrase the question Counsellor."

"Miss Street would you carry out a task if Mr Mason asked you to that was less than legal." Della looked at the judge and then back to Burger almost bemused.

"Are you asking me if I would carry out an act that I knew to be illegal if Mr Mason asked me to?" she queried him back. He must be loosing it to ask her this.

"Yes, yes, I suppose that is what I am asking."

"Your honor, this line of questioning is totally irrelevant. The District Attorney has not established that Miss Street spoke to me from the Archane club and she has denied it on direct questioning several times so now he wants to discredit Miss Street with smarmy accusations."

"I have already allowed this line of questioning." the Judge said, "Answer the question Miss Street.

"Its a hypothetical question, Mr Mason has never asked me to do anything illegal, you want me to tell you if I would do it if he told me to?" she clarified.

"Yes."

Oh good girl, Perry thought, good, good girl.

"Surely its irrelevant whether I would do it or not, if I know he would never ask me to?" she replied driving her point home but also delaying answering, Perry felt a headache cross his forehead, 'oh god she's going to say yes'.

"Answer the question Miss Street." Burger prodded.

"No, I would not doing something I knew to be illegal regardless of who asked me to do it." she stated firmly. Her eyes met his bulging glare, but he dropped his first, Perry watched the exchange, the headache growing. He was finding it hard to think straight, just then Tragg came in, and Burger pleaded for a brief recess.

"Miss Street can you tell us how you came to be friends with Mr Billings, good enough for him to drop you home?" he asked, her eyebrow shot up at the insinuation in that but other than that her face didn't change, "He is a friend of Mr Drakes girlfriend, Claire Avery," she told him when Perry didn't object, it wasn't a lie just not the exact truth.

"Who else were you out with on that night Miss Street?"

"As I told Lt Tragg, there was a party of seven of us." she reeled off the names.

"But Mr Mason wasn't there?"

"Objection." Perry protested, "If the District Attorney wants to go fishing I can lend him a rod but this is incompetent irrelevant and immaterial." Mason said, Della had to stop herself looking at him, he almost sounded like Hamilton Burger with that objection.

"Overruled but Mr Prosecutor get to the point."

"Mr Mason hadn't been invited on this occasion." she answered the question.

"So who were you there as a guest of?"

"Mr Billings."

"Is that all."

"Mr Billings invited me." that was true enough, he had phoned her.

"Is Mr Billings your lover Miss Street."

"Objection, ..." Mason said, the judge waved his hand to dismiss that claim.

"No Counsellor, he's not." She didn't bat an eye lid.

"Is Mr Cohen?" Burger was trying to get her to loose her temper.

"No." Her voice was still calm but an iciness had crept into it.

"Tell me Miss Street who is your lover?"

"Objection, objection, objection, Council is completely badgering and intimidating the witness, the question is irrelevant, immaterial and incompetent." Mason was fuming,

Della was looking down at her hands no longer able to meet the bulging eyes of the District Attorney, nor watch the sniggering she knew would becoming from the pews made worse by Perry's overreaction.

"Sustained." the Judge said, "Confine your questions to the matters at hand Mr District Attorney. Do you have any further questions of this witness?"

Paul came into the courtroom at that moment, and she looked up, he gave her an encouraging smile. She looked from Burger to the Judge.

"No further questions, your witness Councillor."

The Judge looked at Mason, his face was still enraged, "Cross examine Councillor."

"No questions your Honour, at this time, I would like to reserve the right to recall this witness."

"Any objections Mr Prosecutor?" the judge asked, Burger shook his head, but he didn't meet Della's eyes.

"Given the time of the day, Court will recess until Monday at 10am." he banged his gavel. She went and collected her papers off the desk, Billings looked like he was going to cry, she squeezed his arm, "Its going to be alright Butler, Mr Mason hasn't even started on them yet."

"They gave you a grilling Della."

"Don't worry about me."

"But..."Della, that was terrible. He tried to make you look..."

"Stop worrying, it will be alright." He stood up but the panic on his face was palable.

"Its alright Butler, Mr Mason, has everything under control," she said with more confidence than she felt.

"Della, can... I need to talk to you."

"You should talk to Mr Mason Butler," she told him, He lowered his eyes.

"Will you come and see me tomorrow."

She hesitated, then patted his arm, "Yes, I'll come and see you tomorrow."

Butler was lead away by the Bailiff.

Finally she looked at Perry, her face defiant, her eyebrow lifting questioning. His face was drawn, his brow furrowed, "Paul," he swung around to the big detective, "Go and grab us some food from Clays, we'll meet you at the office."

"The press is baying out their Perry." the big detective warned him.

"We'll go out the back." He held out his arm to take her by the elbow as he had a hundred times, "Come on Della."

He lead her through one of the exits that would take them away from the press.

"Perry." a voice called down the hall, it was Hamilton, Burger started towards them,

Perrys arm went protectively around Della, Hamilton's eyes went from Perry to Della, but Della's were only on Perry.

"We'll see you in court on Monday Mr Burger, I am sure anything you need to ask us can wait until then." Perry said, "Lets go Della."

* * *

That got to the office without being intercepted by a single paparazzi. Waiting in their office was Vaughan Cohen, he was rubbing his hands together nervously, when they walked in he immediately grabbed Della's hands.

"How are you girl, god you showed them cool as a cucumber, that bastard DA, wish I could..."

"That won't help Vaughan." Perry cut him off. Vaughans face dropped like a scolded puppy and he slunk into the chair by Perry's desk,

"No guess not,"

"Was there something in particular you came to see us about?" Perry prodded him.

"Yea, the boss wants you to come and see him, he's got something to tell you, something about the night of the murder."

Paul knocked and Perry let him in, "Hi Vaughan, Perry," his eyes rested on Della, "Hi Beautiful." he said softly bringing the parcel of food over."How are you?" this to Della, and Perry realized he hadn't even asked her that.

"I'm fine." she said in her calm low voice.

The greetings finished to the big detective.

Vaughan continued "He suggested you take a taxi, given the DA's got a tail on you and all, if you want I can borrow your car and take them on a cruise down to San Diego."

"Its not a bad idea Perry, you know Burger is after you for some reason." Paul said, with an unintentional glance at Della. Perry looked at Della, she was looking like she did not want to leave the safety of his side. He did not want her away from him, but he wasn't taking her into Gabriel's Lair.

"Paul take Della to Aunt Mae's make sure your not followed and post a watch.

"No I am going home, I want to .." she started to protest, his intense look silenced her.

"You can't be alone tonight." he said, when the words dried on her lips, leaving it hanging, leaving it unsaid that he could not be with her. Vaughan looked from one to the other and rubbed his head, "Whaddya want me to do Mr Mason?"

"Take my car, take it down to San Diego, can you keep out of trouble?"

"Yeah, I have a cousin down there I'll go and stay the night."

"Good, we need to go over the transcripts from today, I'm missing something and Burger hasn't pulled his last surprise."

Vaughan kissed Della on the cheek, "Take it easy girl," he said fondly.

He turned back to Mason, "Anything I can do Mr Mason, you just ask, he, he's got a chance to make it good you know,"

"If you remember anything I want you to let me know," he told Vaughan, he walked him to the elevator, "You said Maynard was there off and on, did you argue with him?" Perry asked when they were out of earshot of the others.

"Nah, he wanted to talk to Aston, he was pretty agitated, he argued with Aston, but all I heard Aston say was 'If you don't tell me what its about I can't help."

"Maynard wasn't with you all night though?"

"No,"Vaughan thought about it, "You know I can probably get the run down off his driver, I got him started so he kinda owes me."

"Good, when you get back in the morning go and see him, find out what Maynard's movements were. Ring my office, my service will get a message to me." Perry instructed.

"Mr Mason," Vaughan said, "thank you for helping my brother, he gets a bad rap being my brother but he never did the bad stuff I did." He stuck his hand out unsure if Mason would shake it. Perry looked down at it and then reached out and shook it.

When Vaughan had left, Perry went back through his eyes drawn to Della, "You need to eat something Della," Perry said gently, "You look as white as a sheet." he poured her some coffee, "And I need you to recount it again, the night, starting from when you arrived at the Archane Club," he did not need to add but she heard it in his tone, and don't leave anything out.

"Paul, we must find out who made that call to me from the Archane Club, I am starting to think that may be the key to this whole mess."

"Okay boss, you want me on that now?"

"No I want you to listen to Della's story and then tell me your own version of events, then I will go and talk to Mr Gabriel." His eyes turned to Della, she was not sure how she did not blush, his expression that had been iron fierce an uncompromising up to that point, softened, not noticeably except to Della who knew him so well, he perched on the chair next to her, he squeezed her hand, "Are you ready?"

"Yes." she cleared her throat.

"Good girl." he encouraged her. She closed her eyes and recounted it, she could feel him begin to pace the room, and then stop and scribble a note or two, usually her job, but he hadn't wanted her to write it down again, just wanted her to tell the story. When she was done, he squeezed her shoulder, then handed her pad and pencil.

"Paul." he commanded him.

Paul recounted the night.

"How long did it take you to get your cigarettes?"

"Well I made a couple of phone calls, to my men, maybe twenty minutes. Oh God Perry, I remember I'd been out the back and I walked passed the office, Delray was arguing, pretty heated, I thought it was his manager, you know the one they all call Penguin, he is always getting up Delrays nose, but that's just how they do business."

"Go on Paul." Perry encouraged him,

"Well it could have been Gabriel, it could have been or Maynard for that matter. I couldn't swear to it though Perry." he shook his head in apology.

"Okay after you get Della to Aunt Mae's then get to the Archane club, someone must have seen something, that Penguin character, grill him. I'll meet you there after I have finished with ..." he didn't finish, he instead fetched Della's coat and held it open for her,

"I don't like it Perry." she said, there were too many pieces, too many people.

"I don't either but we don't have much choice," he said grimly.

"Let me go with you." she asked him quietly, as he slipped her coat over her shoulders and squeezed her shoulders. "Its not safe Della." he said, "I need to know your safe," he added then smiled at her encouragingly, "Trust me?" he asked her almost afraid she would say no, but she placed her fingers over his where he still held her shoulder.

"Always." she told him looking into his bright blue eyes and momentarily loosing herself in them. He could feel the love she felt for him above everything else and the strength that flooded through him at that gaze motivated him as nothing else could.

"Faulkners here." Paul said. "And your taxi is out the back."

"Loose those tails Paul."

"Yes boss."

Paul came inside with her.

* * *

"What's going on?" Mae demanded at their serious faces.

"We just need to lie low for awhile." Della said.

"What lay low with watchers?" she demanded.

"Its just a precaution, " Paul said,

"That doesn't answer my question young man."

"Della can fill you in," he said, giving her arm a squeeze, "I have to go and meet Perry."

"You don't want something to eat then?" she asked. Paul looked torn, Mae's food or duty,"I wrap you up some biscuits, you should be 400 pounds with the bad food you eat," she went through into the kitchen.

"Now you." Paul said trying to exert some authority."You stay here, Perry is going to call here if there is any trouble."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your lack of protest makes me feel nervous, stay here."

She smiled at him without being sulky,"go and find out who made that phone call."

"Right and Della,"

"Yes Paul."

"Only Faulkner and Watson know your here."

"And you and Perry." she added.

He smiled, "Yes,"

Mae came back out with a bag of food, he looked in it, sandwiches and biscuits.

"Thanks Mae your a doll." he kissed her on the cheek, she was a head shorter than Della but had Della's beautiful hazel eyes and steely determination.

"Hmmm, get going you big oaf." she shooed him out the door before locking it and turning to her niece.

"Well girl what was that all about?" her aunt asked.

"Perry has decided I am safer with you." She could not keep the petulant tone out of her voice.

"He has a cheek that man, I can't fathom, what with all the scrapes he manages to drag you through how with one thing or another he thinks you could be in worse danger now."

"He thinks the murderer thinks I know who he is."

"Is that what he told you."

"No, he didn't have to."

"And do you?"

"No."

"And your Mr Perry Mason doesn't either."

"That's what he has gone to find out," Della said, suddenly exhausted,

"Come on dear, come and sit down, have a rest. I'll make us some tea, no doubt you have drunk a flagon of coffee already today." Della nodded.

"Is Daniels typewriter still here?"

"Of course, its in the guest room,"

"Do you mind if I bring it down here."

"You're going to work? Now?"

"I am too tired to sleep aunt Mae and ..."

"yes, yes, you won't go to bed until you hear from those two school boys call in. I swear you three are worse than the three musketeers, go ahead honey."

Mae watched her walk up the stairs, she looked exhausted, she had wanted to go to the court but Della hadn't allowed her. "I don't want you to hear what they might say about me."

"I know the truth about you that's all that matters," her Aunt had replied, but she had conceded to her nieces wishes.

Della couldn't relax, she was never going to sleep knowing that both of them were out searching out some very nasty characters. She'd typed up their notes from the day. She rattled around in her bag she still had Butlers script, she pulled it out , she read the first chapter and made corrections . It was a mild distraction at first but as she got further into it a panic started to build in her. The three main characters were all being blackmailed by a nasty character, one she almost thought she recognized, and Perry was off chasing Pengally, but the Penguin, he, he might be another victim or worse. She had to tell Perry.

* * *

Perry got dropped off a block away from the address, he waited in alcove of a doorway, watching the cars, seeing if any of them stopped, started, but none did, he went down the backstreets, pulling his hat down around his ears and his coat more closely around his bulky body. For a moment he considered he should have taken Paul's offer up of the 38 that he had gone to slip into his pocket before he left, out of sight of Della of course but he had declined it. Now as he walked along the seedy back alley, uneven underfoot and piles of garbage backed up to the rear of buildings, and only flickering lights of dirty light bulbs to guide his way he thought it had been perhaps premature to refuse it. He turned the corner some twenty meters from the main road, the further down the alley was bustling, pimps, druggies and the rest hanging out smoking, joking, watching, he walked passed them all until he reached the purple door with the yellow crown painted on it.

He did not recognize the punks on the door, but one of them called out his name, "Yo Mason, up here." he said, but only loud enough for Mason to hear.

"Mr Cohen said to bring you up here. follow me." Mason followed him up some stairs, he lead him through and office and then through a door where a thug rested.

From the darkened rooms he was suddenly in a light airy place, more like a lounge room, designed to sit twenty or so people comfortable, he noticed the door open to a bedroom and he scowled as a door opened and Mr Gabriel himself.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come down to your office Mr Mason, I know you are a busy man."

"What did you want to see me about Mr Gabriel?" Mason asked this man who he couldn't help but despise.

"I wanted to give you some history about Delray and Butler."

"What makes you think Butler hasn't told me." he asked. Gabriel smiled at him as if he understood the reason for his hostility, "Have a drink Mr Mason, this is not a quick story and while I don't want to end up on the witness stand, I don't want to gloss over anything."

"Why come forward now?" Perry asked him.

"Miss Street tells me that often its the clients who cause the most trouble, because they won't tell the truth." Gabriel said, and Perry felt his temper rising, she had talked about their relationship with this man. "I can't speak for Butler but I can tell you what I suspected."

"Its facts I need not suspicions," Perry growled but accepted the drink and Gabriel waved him into a chair, he sat and held the heavy glass in his hand. "You know Vaughan gets carried away sometimes."

"So I have heard."

"Butler would not tell me how he was mixed up with Delray. I didn't know how until today."

"What happened today"

"Vaughan told me about the grilling they gave Della, Miss Street. I'm sorry for that."

"Your presence wouldn't helped any," Perry conceded. Gabriel gave a brief smile noticing Masons attitude. Gabriel got up and picked up an envelope. He handed it to Mason. "Mr Pengally dropped this off to me today, he was in disguise, but, I recognized him, the negatives are in there as well."

Perry pulled out the photos, she was laughing, the next photo was of Gabriel and Della there fingers touching, and the next of them kissing.

"Blackmail?" he asked. The headache was returning.

Gabriel shook his head, "not Pengally, even if he took up that specific vocation, he wouldn't not me. And he would have hardly given me the negatives."

"Why not you. You are very confident about him."

"Because I know his secrets," Gabriel said,"I have always known."

"You know why Delray was blackmailing him."

"Delray wasn't blackmailing Pengally, he, they fought, yes, but Delray had nothing to gain by blackmailing Pengally,they were successful together, both of them knew it"

"So it had to be someone who had something on both Pengally and Delray, and was close enough to you get these?" Perry said.

"Delray was a punk, he wanted to be a Mr Big, call the shots. Delray found out someone was blackmailing Pengally, I don't think that was part of the deal. He took it personally."

"What aren't you telling me?" Mason demanded, Gabriel did not seem to be effected by that temper or the flashing eyes.

"There was fear in Pengallys eyes Mr Mason, some men, for some men death is more welcome than the revelation of their secrets to the world."

"Where does he live?"

"I didn't get the impression he was going home." Gabriel said.

"Where does he live?" Mason repeated. Gabriel got a piece of paper and wrote it down,

"This is his apartment but he has a house down at the beach."

"What beach?"

"San Surano"

"May I use your phone?"

"Of course."

He pointed him to the phone on the counter.

"Della?" he said into the phone, "Has Paul called in yet?" he asked, he listened for a moment, "Yes, yes, there is someone else involved, someone we have completely overlooked. "Have him go to San Surano, here's the address, I've got to make a couple of stops but just get him there and wait for me."

He listened for a moment and then said,"That's what I thought, yes Pengally ...I will." He hung up the phone, Gabriel was watching him closely.

"I know you don't need opinion Mr Mason, but I will give you mine anyway, I thought maybe it was Maynard who was squeezing Pengally, but that night, Maynard wanted my help but he wanted me to agree that it would not effect our Contract. I refused, he was very agitated, we argued but he wouldn't tell me what it was." Perry absorbed this information without reaction.

"Thank you for your time Mr Gabriel."

"You are helping my friend Mr Mason, it is I who should be thanking you." Gabriel said politely, Mason stared at him for a moment.

"If you hurt her you will find I am not such a helpful person to know." Perry said in dangerously quiet tones.

Gabriel wagged his finger at him, "Ah Mr Mason, its not I who has such power over her to hurt her," he responded. The attorney scowled at him. "Not that I wouldn't give an awful lot to be that person." He was rewarded with a scowl. He decided he wouldn't tell Mason what Della had told him that night, let him stew. Gabriel thought, it would keep him on his toes. He knew that if his own ego was just a little bit smaller he would have moved heaven and earth to have that woman by his side.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"You are a dirty lawyer, I hadn't heard that about you," Maynard said. The confident sneering creature Della had described was a frightened mess.

"Did you kill Delray?" Mason asked, waving the photos threateningly.

"I wish I had, dirty little punk, blackmailing me he was. And now your presence here speaks for itself. I won't make the same mistake I made with him," he pulled a gun out of his jacket, "you shouldn't have come here Mason, shouldn't have come here," Maynard said, his voice cracking.

"I am not here to blackmail you," Mason said firmly.

Maynard laugh had a hysterical edge,"Just protecting your 'innocent' client are you? Or is this how you plan to get me to give into Gabriel's demands for getting out of his Contract." He pointed to the photos, "Or perhaps you are just protecting that pretty little secretary of yours that Gabriel can't keep his hands off?"

"Is this all that Delray had on you? " Mason did not react to the other accusations.

"Delray, delray, delray, he never made a decision in his life, killing him would have been as effective as chopping of the tail of a drop tail lizard. You hold in your hands an at fault divorce, at my fault."

"If you didn't kill him,why won't you tell me who killed Delray?." Mason's voice was firm but he had dropped the threatening edge.

Maynard laughed manically and waved the gun, "I don't have to tell you anything, my only hope is to protect him."

"You should talk to the police, the authorities have means of dealing with extortion." Mason told him, Maynard laughed,

"Yes, the incorruptible police, that place leaks like a sieve I'd be fool to put my trust in them. I can't let you leave here Mason." his voice took on a nasty turn. "You see my wife is just as good at extortion as anyone else, she controls all my money."

"Murder, its not something you will get away with."

"Really, I have Pengallys gun, even his fingerprints, you were in his house you found out he was a blackmailer you were going to turn him in."

"Its not too late Maynard, I can help you."

"It was too late as soon as I helped him get out of the Archane Club."

"We can prove you were there. Let me help you."

"I'm sorry Mr Mason." he said,"But my skin is more valuable to me than yours."

"Drop the gun," a low husky female voice demanded, Perry felt his stomach tighten in fear. He saw Maynard spin in terror, his eyes widened, he backed back so he could swing between them both, Perry didn't move, afraid if he did, Della would draw the fire, "the police are going to be here any minute," she said. Perry saw the gun waver slightly, but her eyes were determined."Drop your gun." Her voice was impossibly low.

"Pengally may as well go down for two as for one," Maynard said in a resigned but determined tone, cocking the gun.

"Do as she says Maynard," a third voice came from the sliding door. It was Faulkner, looking red in the face and sweating, but his hand was steady and the gun was pointed directly at Maynard, just then a siren sounded, Maynard fired at Faulkner, Della and Faulkner both fired at Maynard, both aiming at his legs, he collapsed, Perry rushed over and kicked the gun away from Maynard, Faulkner picked it up and emptied out the bullets before putting it in his pocket, and holding his gun pointed at the injured Maynard. Della was still standing pointing the smoking gun, Perry rushed to her, gingerly he removed it from her fingers, she was still pointing it at Maynard as if frozen.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded fear giving way to an anger so fierce that she fell back in the face of it.

"Perry, he was going to kill you." she whispered, her voice no longer steady,

"Are you alright?" he asked only a fraction more gently, stepping closer to her, tipping her chin up to look into her eyes, "Why didn't you stay at your aunts." he asked her, trying not to show the anger that still bubbled there now that the danger was over, "you could have been killed."

"I couldn't get onto Paul, I went over all our notes, and then after what Butler said today, I..."

"That was completely reckless." he scolded her.

"But she probably did save your life,"Faulkner said, he handed Perry some photos of Maynard and a woman, "I don't think he was ready to let you walk out with these."

"That's not his wife," Faulkner pointed out, Maynard groaned in pain. Faulkner bent over him, "See if you can find me some bandages, I'll bind this up, we wouldn't want him to bleed to death." He glanced up at Della, "Fast runner and a good shot." he commented pressing his handkerchief and holding the wound. She blushed and then disappeared to find some bandages.

"You want me to hang on to those?" Faulkner asked.

"No, I will, how is he?"

"He'll survive, lucky she wasn't aiming at his head."

"I thought you were watching her." Mason demanded, his anger still overtaking the after effects of the fear.

"As I said, fast runner." Faulkner said, "And apparently knows how to trick a gumshoe."

She returned with the bandages, and helped Faulkner when the police barged in, Tragg leading, guns drawn. He assessed the scene "Are you alright?" this to Della who was kneeling next to Faulkner handing him the bandages, she nodded, and he turned to Mason, "Maynard?" he asked him.

"Yes."

Tragg lifted his hat and scratched his head, "Call an ambulance," he directed his sergeant, He looked back down at the moaning man, "You lot want to hand over your guns." this to Mason and Faulkner, "This was his." Faulkner said handing over two guns.

"You two through here." Tragg directed Perry and Della and let them lead him through into the dining room. "Take a seat." he directed them. Perry sat next to Della and held her hand which had only just started to shake. He couldn't look at her he didn't know whether he should be shaking sense into her or enveloping her in an embrace so tight she could never escape.

"Can't you two stay out of trouble ever?" he demanded exasperated, then "You'd better tell me what you were doing here?"

"Following a lead," Perry said unhelpfully. He was almost as angry at Tragg wasting time prosecuting an innocent man on circumstantial evidence and leaving the real killer to threaten everyone else including his Della.

"Right, that will help, keep a lid on the before then and tell me what happened tonight."Tragg waved his hand at him.

Perry recounted what happened. Tragg watched Della as Perry told the story.

"You should have left this to the Police, young lady."

"I didn't have time to convince you Lt," she responded

"Who did call you Tragg?"Mason asked curiously.

"Oh apparently a friend of yours and Miss Street, some fellow calling himself Mr Gabriel, he seemed to have the notion that you had run off after someone who was particularly dangerous, but it was when Miss Street decided to follow you that he thought he should let us know."

Della blushed again and looked down at Perry's hand covering both of hers.

"Lucky for you Mason, sounds like you would have been dead if back up hadn't shown up. Well I'll go and see this lot sorted out, you'll come in and give me statements in the morning."

"Of course Lieutenant. I think Maynard was acting out of desperation, I don't think he has killed before."

"What makes you think that?"

"He hesitated before he pulled the trigger, I was not under the impression that Maynard hesitated very often."

"What else?"

"I think that whoever else is involved is getting nervous, people are willing to kill to protect him and .." he glanced at Della.

"You know the DA already believes he has the killer," Tragg said.

"I don't care if you don't believe me, but I can't have Della in any more danger."

"You mean more danger than running around pointing guns at a desperate men, already backed into a corner?" Tragg asked him pointedly.

"I need to find out who was behind Delray."

"Why couldn't he have done himself, he had the means and the opportunity"

"Because by all accounts he just wasn't smart enough to run this many scams at the one time." Mason said, "Maynard, Pengally ... and close enough to drop Billings in it."

"I'll keep an eye on her." Tragg promised, "If you tell her to behave."

"I'll tell her."

"I'm right here." Della protested. Tragg grunted and left them. Mason stood up and held out his hand to her, she took it and he pulled her into his arms, "Now you." he said looking down in to her eyes, trying to sort through all the emotions he had just felt in the last twenty minutes, "I want you to go back to your aunts and stay there until Paul comes and gets you tomorrow. And then I want you to return until you hear from me. Do you hear?"

"I hear you Chief." she said petulantly.

"Will you do that for me?" he insisted. She hesitated, and he shook her slightly, "I want a promise."

"The killer is still out there Perry," she said.

"I know, but that is not a promise," he pointed out.

"I promise." she said with a sulky pout.

He pinched her chin, "good girl," he said, he gave her a brief fierce hug that took her breath away. "Now go with Faulkner."

"And what about you?"

"I need to check on some things. "

"Perry, Butler wanted me to go and see him tomorrow," she glanced at her watch, "Today I should say."

"After you see Tragg, but keep Faulkner with you."

"You know what he is going to tell me," she observed.

"I think he found out about the blackmail, about Delray and was going to confront him," He met her eyes, she wondered if their had been photos, that would explain Butlers behavior, his thumbs rubbed the back of her hands, she knew it was meant to be comforting, but it was just straight out arousing. She closed her eyes. He kissed her forehead."Remember you promised." he whispered.

* * *

Tragg didn't lay any charges once he got the full story, the next day, she only saw Perry briefly at Headquarters before he and Paul headed off again, he phoned her every couple of hours but wouldn't say what he'd found. Maynard was under police guard in hospital. He wasn't talking. He didn't explain what he was doing in Pengally's house.

"Della." Butler stood up, tears were in his eyes,

"Miss Street?" the guard asked, he hesitated before he left her alone.

"Its fine, really." she told the guard, Butler took her hands and they sat down across the table."

"Are you alright Della, I didn't understand why they were going after you yesterday." He said, she shook her head, yesterday already felt like a million years ago.

"The DA believes I tampered with evidence." she said.

"Oh, will you get in trouble?"

"I didn't tamper with it, and he hasn't proved I did."

"But he was trying to ..."

"He was trying to discredit me."

"Oh. You didn't get rattled, why didn't you get rattled." he asked.

"What did you want to tell me that you wouldn't tell Mr Mason?"

"I wanted to tell you,"he looked down at his hands, "I'd taken some photos, good photos, I was getting them framed, for Aston, for his penthouse, but I couldn't take them to any old developer. Delray is ...was an amateur photographer."

"You found out he sold them."

"I didn't believe it, he was my best..., we grew up together,"

"But he had."

"He had, he I told him he needed to give them back."

"Thats why you went back there to get the photos." she commented, he nodded, "Did he tell you who he had given them to?  
"No , but Della." he sounded like a frightened teenage boy.

"Yes."

"I took a photo of you and Aston, when you didn't know, he was kissing you."

"Oh." she said a soft flush coming to her face. She realised how Perry already knew and felt her stomach clench.

"I am so sorry Della, I wanted you to know, so if,if you want to tell Mr Mason not to represent me I will understand." she looked at him, trying to push her personal feelings aside, trying to not think about what Perry would think of those photos, what he would think of her, she shut her eyes to close out that thought.

"Mr Mason believes you are innocent Butler." she said, opening her eyes to look at him, "I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start fighting for yourself, you have so many people who are supporting you and who are helping you and you reward them with lies and fear you need to grow up. You need to start fighting for yourself, and you need to tell Mr Mason everything you know about you, Delray, and Pengally,"

"Della I will tell him, I'll tell him everything. But the photos of you and Aston."

"You need to tell him everything,"

"But I can tell how he feels..." she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Mr Mason is trying to help you. We are all trying to help you. He shouldn't have to fight blind." she told him a firmness in her tone that made his eyes go wide.

She smiled encouragingly pretending she wasn't suddenly feeling sick, he had just shored up a much better motive for himself than Burger had come up with.

* * *

Neither Paul or Perry returned to her Aunt Mae's that night, Paul showed up about lunchtime Sunday, he looked beat, Mae feed him and then he went and had a sleep. Perry called her every couple of hours, told her he had been to see Butler, when she went to speak he told her they would talk about it when he got back. He didn't sound angry just tired.

She curled up in the chair on the verandah looking out into the darkness, her eyes were adjusting to the dim light of the moon, but it was the smoke she smelled first before she saw a dark figure.

"Who is there?" she demanded, not a trace of fear in her voice.

"Someone who thinks you shouldn't be sitting exposed out on the verandah," came the terse reply of a voice she loved beyond all reason.

"Perry," she jumped up, throwing off her blanket but he was up the stairs before she could reach him, "You should be inside," he admonished her.

"What with the ring of men you, Paul and Burger have around here? who is likely to get through." she mocked him.

"I got through." he pointed out.

"I am glad of that." she replied and then she was in his arms and he was holding her as if he would never let her go, after the initial reaction, and the heat that built up between them, she tried to pull away,"Perry the police will be watching."

"Let them watch," he growled holding her tighter and burying his face in the curve of her neck, breathing her scent in. She hugged him with renewed vigor as they pressed their cheeks against each other.

"Perry," she whispered into his ear, her low voice so husky he felt a shiver shoot down his back.

"Mhmm," he responded, content for the moment, just to ensure himself that she was alive and unhurt and in his arms.

"I lied on the stand, on Friday." she confessed in a low voice that only just reached his ears.

He pulled back from her, looking down at her knowing she didn't have any shoes on because she was shorter than normal.

"Perjury? And how is that Miss Street?" he asked, she knew from his amused tone, that his eyebrow was raised in disbelief. She could only see the outline of his perfect face in the moonlight.

"When Burger asked me if I would do something you asked me to do, whether it was legal or not, and I said I wouldn't, that was a lie."

"How so?" still the amused tone.

She reached up to touch his cheek, in a voice that was impossibly husky."Because I would do anything you asked me to." he stopped her by pressing the pad of his finger to her lips,

"Except stay put when you're told,"he teased gently, "You know I might hold you to that statement in the future Miss Street" he added softly."But for now your secrets are safe with me."

"All my secrets?" she asked in tones so soft he had to lean forward to hear her,

"All your secrets." he confirmed and leaned forward his eyes closed... the door banged and then opened and Mae peered out, "Well are you two going to stay out here making love all night or are you going to come and eat some of these scones I've just made," she demanded imperiously.

Della felt the vibrations of his chuckle and "We're coming Aunt Mae," he called out the promise.

He pressed his forehead to Della's trying to see her eyes in the darkness, "Not that the first suggestion isn't inviting but I need some food and some sleep, we've got a big day tomorrow." She chuckled at him, and took his arm as he took her into the house squeezing him tight. Everything was going to be alright, she could feel it, feel his confidence. Before dawn she had crept down the hall into the guest room where he was staying, slipped under his covers and held him while he slept, he murmured her name and rolled to hold her. He looked exhausted, but his arms felt good around her, she'd fallen back to sleep . When she woke he wasn't beside her, she sat up, he was sitting by the window, reading the notes she had typed up, he looked at her a mix of adoration and amusement on his face. She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, stretching out the sleep, it was 6.00am.

"Now Miss Street I'm not sure that there was any point in you rescuing me from Maynard to put me directly in the line of fire of your aunt." She swung out of bed and came over to kiss him, "You never know it might have been worth it, not that I could wake you."

"It certainly explains why I had such pleasant dreams," he teased her. She kissed him again then patted his cheek, "I noticed," she said with a wicked grin, he groaned but she left him but had distracted him sufficiently that he had to reread the last three pages.

* * *

He hadn't told her he was going to call her back to the stand. But she went without hesitation.

"Miss Street, do you recall the night of the murder, how many drinks you had that evening?"

She stilled her face from reacting, "I had two champagnes at the Arcane club, and two later at the Penelope's, "

"Over a five hour period? Did you drink anything else?" he asked, he had told her that she had been drinking alone in her apartment but she didn't remember that, she thought about it, trying to remember,

"Mr Pengally gave me a drink of water at the Archane club just before Lt Tragg took me home." He wasn't looking at her, he was in fact looking directly at Lurid, Pengally and Delray's silent business partner.

"And after that after you locked the door, you don't remember anything until you woke up the next morning is that true Miss Street." again he was looking directly at Lurid, his eyes booring into him,"You remember I picked you up at ten o'clock,"

"Yes sir."

"Where did I take you?"

"To Doctor Morales."

"And he took some blood."

"Objection,"Burger stood up, "Miss Streets health, while of concern, is of no relevance to this case." he was less obtrusive than he had been on the previous Friday.

"If your honour will allow me, I believe I can show a connection."

"I'll allow it, answer the question Miss Street

"Yes."

"And what did he find?" he pressed her.

"Their were traces of fenxal purathane."

"Did he explain to you what that was?"

"Objection, hearsay."

"Your honour, the witness was prescribed an antidote, it was provided in writing and I have it here." Perry waved a piece of paper that Della knew to be some of her notes.

"Overruled, I'll allow it."

"Its a knockout sedative."

At that point Paul came in waving some papers at Perry, and behind him one of his men ushered in the man they referred to as 'Penguin." Delrays business manager, the elusive Pengally.

"No further questions." he finished off.

The judge looked up in annoyance at the disturbance,"May I have a moment your honour?"Perry begged him,

"Recross?" the judge asked Burger, but Burger shook his head glancing at Tragg who shrugged his shoulders, he didn't know what tricks Mason was about to pull. Perry turned to help Della down from the stand, his face giving nothing away. He had a quick word to Paul, his eyes watching the Penguin all the while, Paul nodded and exited the room.

"Defence calls Mr Albert Pengally to the stand."

Pauls man tapped the Penguin on the shoulder and the Penguin shrugged it off as if he were a bug, he was sworn in and then sat down in the witness chair, his disapproval evident.

"Mr Pengally can you tell us your relationship to Mr Delray, the deceased."

"I was his business manager."

"But you didn't always get along."

"That was no secret Mr Mason, we argued all the time, "

"Argued, violently?"

"Aggressively, not violently, there were never any personal attacks."

"But items would get thrown?"

"Mr Delray was a very passionate man, but he sometimes confused his head for business with... well" the Penguin looked at the judge, "I had to keep a tight rein on things or he would have blown it all. That was what he paid me for , not to kowtow to him."

"And what did you argue about on the night of the fifteenth?" Perry grilled him,

"Business matters, terribly pedestrian in the light of what has happened."

"Didn't you infact argue over Mr Billings."

"Well Mr Billings may have come up,"

"Didn't you accuse Mr Delray of using information Mr Billings had provided him about to blackmail a third party?"

"Well I had no proof that it was blackmail, otherwise I would have gone to the police." the Penguin hedged, glancing nervously at the DA, not quite as sure of himself as when he had first walked into the court room.

"But that was what you were trying to find out from him wasn't it, that was what you were screaming at each other about? Or we you the one doing the blackmailing?"

Anger flashed onto the Penguins face, "Now look here Mason, I work in a dirty business at times, there is opportunity to blackmail any number of tommies, but that is not how I run my business."

"Nor will you let your business be used for that endeavor," Mason turned to glare at him, "So when you found out that Mr Delray had an accomplice in the blackmail scam you threatened him to take it to the police, this was not something you could just cover up for him, not now that Billings knew he had been double crossed by his friend, not now that there was a third person involved. You found that evidence didn't you, you were going back to confront Delray with it, you and your gun and then you walked in and shot him didn't you Mr Pengally."

"No, no."Pengally screamed, rising out of his chair, the judge banged the gavel,

"Resume your seat Mr Pengally."

"Objection your honour. Defence can't just cast accusations on such slim foundation." Burger protested, but his heart didn't seem to be in the objection.

"But I do have a foundation your honour, I submit that Mr Pengally was being blackmailed and that is why he didn't come forward."

"I didn't kill him, its true, I went there I was going to threaten him, he'd never gone this far before, but he was already dead. I knew I'd been heard, I knew that I was the most likely to be sprung for his murder, that was why I set it up, set Billings up, that's why I rang you Mr Mason, I knew you would defend him, I knew you would notice the missing papers because Billings had already spoken to your Miss Street about them."

"So you set Billings up, called him to the club, and Miss Streets presence was a bonus."

"Yes, with the crime scene, and with ... I knew you would make sure she was alright before you saw to Billings."

"Giving you time to replace the papers with forgeries."

"Yes sir."

"That's why you drugged Miss Street"

"Yes sir."

Paul came into the court room. "A moment your honour?" Perry asked,

"Make it quick." the judge ordered.

Paul gave him a nod and handed him a file, he looked in it and looked back to Paul who gave him a canister of film he took it and put it on the table, he returned his attention to the file and pulled out a photo,"Now Mr Pengally, I have here a set of photographs. " he looked at him with just a tinge of sympathy, "You were being blackmailed, because of a series of photographs taken of you that you believed would be extremely damaging. Isn't that true?"

Pengally was shaking, but at the sight of the file he seemed to loose all arrogance. He stared at it like it was a serpent poised to strike him before collapsing his face into his hands.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Who was the blackmailer, who was the man who you had told Delray he was not to have in the club, who was the man, who was using Delray as part of the blackmailing and when Delray confessed to you. he killed Delray, then blackmailed you into helping him." Mason's voiced boomed, Pengally was sweating but Masons ferocious glare was directed at Lurid. "Who is the man you caught on camera killing Delray, and whom you have protected from the moment you walked in on him standing over Delrays body?"

"I destroyed the film, I should have kept it, I should have kept it, how did you get it?"

"You burnt it, in the canister, but the canister, its fire proof, the film was not destroyed, you had the evidence to clear him all along."

"He would have... You've got him."

He glared at Lurid who was on his feet, shouting at the Penguin "You fool, couldn't leave enough alone, Yes I killed him, he told me he had told you, I would have made you rich, I would have cut you in, I had insurance on you and you cave in to protect a two bit..."

Perry interjected at that point.

"Your honour given Mr Lurids confession I request all charges against my client be dropped and the case be dismissed."

"Granted Baliff take that man into custody, and Mr District Attorney see to the procuring of appropriate charges. You may leave the witness stand Mr Pengally."

Billings hugged Della, and shook hands with Paul, Vaughan was clapping him on the back, and Aston disguised as an old man, shook his hand. Aston turned to Della and grinned at her, "Thank you." he said, holding her hand, In a tone that only reached her ears, "Are you sure you prefer the life of crime to a life behind the silverscreen?" he asked, but his smile told her he already knew the answer.

She glanced at Perry who had gone over to the last witness. "Very sure." she confirmed returning the squeeze of his hand.

"Thought so," he said.

Perry approached Pengally, "Mr Pengally."

"I suppose you will show them to the press now." he said, "After what I did to your Miss Street."

"You were scared and you acted foolishly, you would have been better off asking me for my help." Perry admonished him, "but these are not the photos, we couldn't find Lurids, stash, hopefully the police will establish that."

"They are not the photos?"

"No, All I said to you was 'I have some photos here."'My detective is following the trail of the photos,"

"And the film."

"That is the one you tried to destroy, of course I haven't had time to examine it."

"He, Delray, he was like my brother, he just... I let him down, I didn't protect him."

"He was a man, he made his own decisions." Perry said not without sympathy.

Tragg interrupted, "Mr Pengally do you mind coming along , I have some questions for you?" he said, with a sly look at Mason.

"Wait a minute Tragg, I am sure there is no need to remind you to advise Mr Pengally that he does not need to say anything that will incriminate himself."

"We'll make sure he gets lawyered up."

"Why Lieutenant, that is not necessary, Mr Pengally already has a lawyer."

Tragg shook his head, the Penguin looked at Perry Mason and put his hand out, "You are one decent man, in this town of snakes." Pengally said, "I ought to know."

"Come on you." Tragg dragged him off, Perry let his eyes wander over to Della, she was packing up all their stuff, fading into the background, she must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked up and gave him the shyiest smile, he grinned at her.

* * *

"How did you know, ... were you so sure Pengally didn't kill him." Della asked him , she was toying with her food,

"It was easy." Paul said, "Once that cigarette girl, confirmed she'd seen Pengally come out of the office after nine, and then later saw him make a phone call at 11.15, I tracked that to Perry's, it couldn't have been Lurid so it had to be Pengally."

"Why?" she demanded to know, not understanding that leap in logic.

"Well because." Paul looked at Perry, "I dunna know, how did you leap to that conclusion?"

"The killer had no reason to stop me going to the club, nor to warn me that Della was in trouble, only Pengally had the motive for that. He hadn't intended to kill Della, but you can never know how a person can react, and the presence of those blackmail papers meant that wasn't the reason for the murder, and he gave Della the water, why would he do that, you heard Billings say he wouldn't be seen dead pouring a drink for anyone. The killer wouldn't have cared about Della's safety."

"And if it the blackmailee wasn't the killer." Paul said, rolling his hand around in the air.

"It was the blackmailer." Della concluded.

"Right." Perry said smiling at them both, "Now what say we leave this joint and take a week off?" he said.

"You want me to drop those other two cases you have me working on?" Paul asked hopefully.

"Two I thought you had three?"Perry queried him.

"Oh didn't I tell you, I got a line on Phillip Maskie, he's in a hospital in San Francisco, he went into a bare knuckle, well he lost, and lost his memory,face busted up un recognisable anyway, he'll be back here next Tuesday."

"And the other two cases?"

"Still running down leads." Paul admitted, Perry rubbed his hands together thoughtful and then looked up his eyebrows arched as if he had just had a supreme idea.

"Hmmm Well why don't you you keep working on those leads and until you do Della and I are going to take some time off." He stood up and held out his hand for her, she grinned at Paul before following him.

"I keep telling everyone that expense aside you're simply the best detective in town." she told him with a cheeky grin.

"Nuts, thats just nuts, I must be nuts." he muttered shaking his head as they walked off, but a slight grin played on his mouth.

* * *

They reached her apartment door, having lapsed into a comfortable silence since leaving the restaurant.

"Perry."

"Yes." he took the key from her and unlocked the door, holding it open for her.

"Something has been bothering me. Something you said."

"Yes?" he encouraged her, feeling her hesitation, seeing the slight blush creep onto her cheeks. She turned to face him as he closed the door.

"The night of the murder when you came to my apartment, and we talked, which I don't remember ... you told me later some of it, but Perry I don't own a black negligee," she said. He smiled at her, that cheeky smile that told her she had caught him out.

"You should, you look good in one." he grinned.

"Did I kiss you, or was that in your imagination as well?"

"You kissed me on the cheek. My imagination did the rest."

"so you just put me to bed and left?"

"I checked your temperature,and then I left."

"Then I didn't tell you who ... who my lover was."

He liked how she said 'was', there was a definite finality in that, his silence confirmed her suspicions "Then why did you ...?"

"I didn't want us to have secrets but I couldn't stand it if you had of said it besides Della a man does not hold a salsa party at $500 a head for someone just to help his friend get lucky."

"He held it for me, how do you know?"

"He had been watching us dance the first night we met him so I know because he asked me if I had enjoyed the music and I told him I did except I didn't salsa."

"He asked you that?"

"Apparently you made quite an impression on him from the moment he laid eyes on you." He touched her chin, "That I can understand," she blushed again, not meeting his gaze. He let her go and as if the words sunk in she declared.

"So you lied to me." she pointed out, turning to look at him, her eyes soft and a smile toying on her lips,

"It was for a good cause," he said softly.

"He wasn't my lover Perry," she knew she didn't have to say it but she wanted him to know, "That night, at the Archane Club, I had told him that I could only ever have feelings for one man."

"And who might that be Miss Street?"

"If you let me into my apartment I might let you in on the secret," she said turning to walk into her apartment, on the table in the kitchen, there was the hugest bunch of flowers in a solid crystal vase, on the table were a number of boxes.

"Mr Mason, that key is only for emergencies, you told me we had sorted that out," she admonished him, but a smile was teasing her lips upwards.

"This was an emergency," he said, "I couldn't let one more hour go by without you knowing that you are the most important person in my world."

"You shouldn't have." she said, her fingers running along the packages, he came up behind her and kissed the top of her head, he bent down and rubbed his cheek against hers, "I should have a long time ago, open them," he said. She lifted the the lid on the largest box, white wrapping with pink satin ribbons, "Oh Perry, oh perry," she purred, she lifted the black negligee out of the box, it was beautiful, the satin was the smoothest she had ever felt and the lace trim, she rubbed it against her cheek."This must have cost an arm and a leg." she protested, but what ever other wicked thoughts she was having she hid behind a devilish laugh and a rewarded him with only the briefest chaste kiss on the cheek. The second box brought tears to her eyes, a set of pearls with matching earrings fit for a princess, she couldn't speak, but with the waving of her hands, indicated for him to put it on her. "These are more for me than you." he told her, "I don't like you wearing pearls someone else has given you" he added kissing her neck where the pearls touched her skin."But the sight of you in pearls does something to me." His voice was low and gentle and she turned back to face him, "I love them." she whispered, kissing him and there was nothing chaste about that kiss, it left him trembling and wanting more.

"They are beautiful," she tried with little success to put a business like tone on, "Why don't you go and make us some drinks and put on some music, I've got something for you too," her voice was so husky that all he could do was hold her and kiss her until she pushed him away. "Music." she demanded, "I have to fix my face, now you've made me cry."

He held her hand to stop her from leaving, he wanted to give her an out. "Della I don't have to stay, if .. if you think this is part of the 'benefits'" his expression was so naked and fearful, she had not realised how much that statement had hurt him.

"Perry, I... I was so scared of loosing you I got too scared to try. I convinced myself that to have part of you was better than none."

"And now?"

"When you told me that you didn't care about Aston, that it didn't change anything between us, I guess I started to understand that you and I have something that connects us, its not just because we work so well together but it is deeper and not so fragile to be shattered by my fear or your pride." Tears filled her eyes, "And when I saw Maynard pointing his gun at you, you could have been killed Perry, he was going to shoot you, and nothing else mattered except that I would lose the person I would give the world for, everything seemed so insignificant compared to that." She kissed his fingertips.

"Confession?" he said, she nodded.

"I was hoping that your Mr Aston Gabriel was the guilty party the whole time, and if you think I was not as jealous as hell then you are entirely mistaken."

"But you never gave up on me," she said soberly.

"I couldn't have you being disappointed in me and I was only following your advice Miss Street."

"What is that?"

"It is only those who don't try who are disappointing." he tapped his finger on her forehead.

"Butler told you I said that."

"He did, and I'm glad we've both taken your advice." He kissed her softly on the lips before letting her go to follow her early command for music.

He selected the music first and then poured them a couple of drinks. She grinned he was playing the same songs that they had listened to the first time they had kissed. Standing behind him while he knelt flicking through her records, she touched his shoulder and slipped a wrapped present, "Its not romantic." she warned him, he glanced at her, and then did a double take, she had the black negligee on, she was wearing impossibly high, high heels, black stockings that he just knew would have little clips for him to undo and the pearls, pearls around her neck, pearls in her ears, "You need to open your present," she reminded him, her voice unintentionally seductive, as her whole body reacted to the desire in his eyes.

"How could I concentrate on anything else but.." he groaned as she moved away from him, her eyes flicked to the present nodding to encourage him to open it, she took her drink with her, he ripped the wrapping off, it was a leather bound version of the Merchants of Venice, he sat down on the floor, in amazement.

She leaned on the frame of her bedroom door watching his reaction, "Its not a first edition, obviously, but the drawings are, block etchings, it was printed by ..."

"I know what it is Della, this is priceless, this is too much. Where did you find it? How did you know?"

She laughed delighted with his reaction, "Questions questions, I'll answer them tomorrow, Come on Counsellor, you can pour over that tomorrow. I've got something else for you to unwrap," she grinned and headed into her bed room, he turned back to the book and stroked its leather cover, then as if her words finally hit him, he sat bolt upright, "Oh" he put the book down and followed her.

She chuckled when he arrived, "Nice to know, occasionally I can drag your attention away from reading the dusty old writing of crusty old men." He turned the light out leaving only candles burning.

"My Love if you keep dressing like that you will make me forget that I even know how to read," he promised her.

"I like the sound of that," she purred, his hands touched the smooth satin on her hips as her fingers began removing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, their lips met slowly at first as they tried to draw each second out but it was impossible and rapidly escalated into a clash of heat and desire and unable to form any further coherent thoughts let alone words for the rest of night as they tumbled down into a world where it was only them. Fingers, hands, lips, legs moulding together like putty as their bodies burnt and cooled bringing actions too many lingering gazes, chaste kisses, protracted touches, a hand, a shoulder, small of the back all these gone in the certainty of their touches, she felt like she was drowning in honey and each kiss prolonged her survival. Their bodies belonged together each new discover only seemed to reinforce an intimate knowledge of each other.

Around morning, the grey dusty light of dawn intruded in the bedroom, she lay entwined in his arms unwilling to risk removing a single inch of skin from his. "I love you Perry." she said, her voice smoky, he pulled back so he could see her face,

"What did you say?" he asked. She smiled affectionately he had heard her perfectly clearly.

"You heard me," she said tracing from his forehead down to his nose to his lips and tapping them gently. Her lips, she thought, her beautiful blue eyes, he was hers as surely as she was completely his.

"I want to hear you say it again."

"I love you Perry Mason."

"And?"

"And?"

"Tell me you belong to me." he ordered her, rolling on top of her and looking down into her eyes with an intensity that brought heat to all parts of her body.

"Perry." she protested, but he leant and kissed her neck trailing it down to her breast echoeing each "say it" with a kiss until she laughed and took his face in her hands.

"I love you Perry Mason and I belong to you," she said softly, seriously.

"I have waited years for you to realise that," he said, "because Miss Street, I love you completely, and I am yours completely and I still love the sound of my name on your lips."

"Oh Perry, ' she murmured, tears filling her eyes, but then he was kissing her and they got lost again in time in each other.

* * *

Epilogue to go

(not only are they not my characters but I borrowed Aunt Mae's line from TCOT blonde bonanza with a slight variation - sorry ESG - I couldn't help it)


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The Headline was appalling. Della hadn't even been able to read it the article.

GABRIEL VS MASON - Whens the Sequel?

Famous Actor Phone Call Saves The Cities Favorite Criminal Attorney from Murder!

"_Mr Gabriel tells how his phone call to the police may have saved LA's most famous Lawyer from being shot by the very movie producer holding Gabriel's own Contract._ "Paul read it out loud to them both, they were in Perry's apartment eating lunch. He read through the rest of the article but not seeing anything of interest he folded it up and put it down. "Well Della no word about your heroics. Looks like Gabriel grabbed all your limelight," he commented, Faulkner had given him a complete run down, once Paul had stopped telling him off for having let Della give him the slip. She grinned but didn't say anything. He raised his eyebrow at the lack of reaction from either of them, he jabbed his finger at her, "Lucky you gave him the flick Della, it'd be hard hanging around a fella who loved the limelight this much, suck all the sun out of the sky I reckon."

"Your the one hanging around with the movie star." she retorted, Perry ignored them both, and continued to read his own paper.

"Only a starlet though, doesn't cast a lot of shade." he teased her, failing to get the slightest rise from Perry he changed tack, "So are you two enjoying your break?" Paul asked innocently, his eyes going from Della to Perry, she took a sip of her water, not the slightest reaction at his jibe. Perry smiled at him. "Fine, just fine."

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Paul asked them both.

"You're the detective you tell me," Perry replied with his best court room face.

"You two are not going to be any fun, I can see that." he murmured, winding himself out of the chair and grabbing another sandwich.

"Bye Beautiful." he said,"Later Perry."

"Bye Paul." Perry said,

"Do you want me to wrap some of those for you to take with you?" she asked him as he eyed the sandwiches covetously.

"Nahh, Claire's promised to cook dinner for me, I promised to be hungry."

"Home cook meal must be serious." Della teased him.

"Yes well she takes her home cooking a little more seriously than you Della, sandwiches, a boy can't live on bread alone you know."

"I can make a salad," Della protested insincerely.

"I like salad." Perry added, "And I make great steak and potatoes."

"Yes, yes, the perfect team." he waved at them then left.

"We will have to take him out to dinner you know."

"I know," he held out his hand for her and she took it sliding onto his lap. "I like your sandwiches." he said.

"Me to, they are very quick to make."

"I noticed that." he murmured nibbling at her collarbone.

"Have you thought about us?" she asked him, trying to ignore the sensations he was once again triggering off in her.

"You have pretty much been the only thing on my mind for the last 96 hours." he admitted, running his finger up her leg.

"And?" she placed her hand over his when he started pushing the hem of her skirt upwards.

"And I still think you should marry me."

"Perry be serious."

"I am." he said, "I know, I know. But I have thought about it, we could go to Mexico get married there, no one here would know, you can keep your apartment, nothing has to change, except," he looked straight into her eyes "except we can be together." His hand kept moving up her leg and she didn't stop him this time. "That way if your Aunt Mae ever catches us I can look her straight in the eye when I tell her that I love and honour you and I am legally allowed to worship you with my body." His boyish grin drove her nuts and she could not hold a straight face. She kissed him possessively.

After they had worn each other out physically for the first couple of days after the trial, they had talked, talked about their fears and hopes and dreams, as if no barriers existed between them. This they had not resolved though.

He took her hands "I have something for both of us," he said, not forcing an answer from her. He disappeared into his bedroom. When he came back he was carrying a box.

"Della," he turned her to face him, "I know you won't marry me, but I want you to know, that is what I desire and I can't pretend otherwise, but" he touched her lips to stall her "this is so you know I am forever yours. Open it."

It was a long velvet box, she drew a breath when she saw the jewelers mark, but when she lifted her eyes to say something he cut her off with, "Open it."

It was a gold pendant with the initials DS, it was beautiful, she looked at him, a little bit relieved it was not diamonds, but genuinely touched. His face was crinkled in a smile as if he knew what she was thinking. This was not something that he had had made in the last few days.

"Just so you know, that I know you are the most independent, stubborn, beautiful wonderful woman in the world." he said his cheeky dimple appearing."Lift the bottom, I brought myself a present, you know how I don't like to miss out on attention." She couldn't speak, but at his teasing voice she lifted the bottom, it contained a mans pinky ring with a massive diamond, she still couldn't speak and lifted her eyebrow.

He picked it up, It was an extravagant diamond, he looked at her face, she was keeping it neutral, stunned by the beautiful pendant, confused by this massive diamond, trying to interpret his intention. He held it up so she could see it. "This is the diamond that will go into your engagement ring when you decide to marry me." he told her,"I'll wear it until then."

"Its not very subtle Perry," she murmured, she couldn't even calculate the worth of that diamond.

"I know, it must be my male chauvinistic side, I want the world to know you love me and when you are ready, the world will know that you are my world."

"How does that fit with a quiet wedding in Mexico?" she asked, knowing he was not going to force the issue today.

"You can wear it around your neck." he told her, then pointed at the pendant, "The DS stands for Don't Stop of course, as in Don't Stop loving me." She laughed, at his cheeky grin. "They are both engraved,"

She turned her gold pendant initials over, "Anytime, anywhere, yours PM" and on the ring around the inside of the band, "The wearer and the ring are the property of Della Street."

Tears were streaming down her face, at the same time as laughter bubbled up from her chest. She put the ring on his finger. "I'm not sure even you would wear this Perry." she said trying to make light of it, her laughter bubbling up but at the same time tears streaming down her face.

'I didn't give them to you to make you cry." he said, wiping her tears away with his thumb then kissing them away."They are to remind us we have to tell each other how we feel, even if its hard to say it." His voice was no longer teasing, it was serious,"I want us to be honest with each other," he continued, "even if it hurts."

She nodded then took his face in her hands, looking at him as if it was for the first time she had ever seen him, his blue intense eyes, his strong nose, his kissable lips, an errant curl escaping onto his brow, she pushed it back and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him with a hunger that made him tremble.

"I love you Miss Della Street." he said his voice cracking with emotion."Anytime, anywhere any way you want."

"I love you Mr Perry Mason." He pulled her into his arms and the rest of the world faded leaving only them.

**THE END**

_Thank you for reading and especially reviewing it was very motivating, thank you to all the other PM ff writers I love your stuff it inspired me to write this. I didn't realise how encouraging it was to read the reviews thanks hope you enjoyed it and I hope you didn't think I was going to let Miss Street escape with a movie star however handsome and charming he may have been. RR_


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